^;^J^^'o^™^ 


^^OlOGICAL  SE^^'S^^ 


A 


BX  6495  .S7  N4  1892 
Needham,  Geo.  C.  1840-1902 
Charles  H.  Spurgeon,  his 
life  and  labors 


■^. 


CHARLES  H.  SPURGEON 


HIS 


LIFE  AND   LABORS 


By   GEO.    C    NEEDHAM 

AUTHOR   OF    "street     ARABS,"    "FATHER   FT.VNN." 


mit\j  Entrotiurtion 
Bv    REV.    A     J.    GORDON,    D.  D. 


BOSTON: 

BRADLEY   AND     WOODRUFF. 

PUBLISHERS. 


Copyright,  1892, 
By  Geo.  C.  Needham. 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


1.  Pastor  C.  H.  Spurgeon  (Frontispiece).  'ag« 

2.  Birthplace  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon 27 

3.  Mr.  Spurgeon  at  the  Age  of  Twenty-one 56 

4.  Surrey  Music  Hall 66 

5.  James  Archer  Spurgeon,  Co-Pastor 84 

6.  The  Metropolitan  Tabernacle 125 

7.  Benjamin  Keach ijo 

8.  Keach  in  the  Pillory        131 

9.  Carter-lane  Chapel 134 

10.  Doctor  John  Gill 136 

11.  John  Rippon  in  his  Youth *  138 

12.  New  Park-street  Chapel 142 

13.  George  Rogers 151 

14.  The  Pastors'  College 15& 

15.  Stockwell  Orphanage  for  Boys 164 

16.  One  of  the  School-rooms 177 

17.  The  Girls'  Orphanage 187 

18.  Infirmary  of  Stockwell  Orphanage 194 

19.  Stockwell  Orphanage  Playground 201 

20.  Colporteur  and  Bible  Carriage 214 

21.  The  Cottage  in  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  his  first 

Sermon 226 

22.  Residence  of  Pastor  C.  H.  Spurgeon 23S 

23.  Rev.  John  Spurgeon,  Father  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon  .  .  .  245 

24.  Mrs.  John  Spurgeon,  Mother  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon  .  ,  .  246 

25.  Mrs.  C.  H.  Spurgeon 253 

26.  Charles  Spurgeon,  Son  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon 261 

27.  Thomas  Spurgeon,  Son  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon 264 

28.  Interior  of  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle 275 


PREFACE. 


A  NICHE  in  the  Temple  of  Consecrated  Ministry'  is 
now  vacant,  A  great  preacher  has  been  promoted  to 
occupy  a  place  in  the  heavenly  court.  Absent  from  the 
body,  Charles  H.  Spurgeon  is  now  present  with  his  Lord. 
The  brave  warrior  has  ceased  fighting  the  good  fight  of 
faith ;  his  sword  lies  sheathed  in  its  scabbard.  The  weary 
pilgrim  has  ended  the  journey  of  life  ;  he  needs  his  staff 
no  more.  During  the  days  of  sickness  the  church  uni- 
versal interceded  ;  his  removal  from  earth  fills  the  church 
with  orrief,  and  the  hosts  of  the  elect  mourn  the  loss  of  a 
reliable  leader.  Thousands  weep  who  henceforth  shall 
miss  the  warm  friendship  of  a  right  noble  man.  It  is  thus 
we  are  personally  afflicted.  During  a  quarter  of  a  century 
we  enjoyed  and  appreciated  his  brotherly  fellowship.  A 
loving  epistle  penned  by  his  own  hand  reached  us  after  he 
had  entered  Paradise.  It  is  a  tender  word  of  salutation, 
written  from  the  border-land,  perfumed  with  the  breath  of 
heaven. 

The  wonderful  record  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  "  Life  and 
Labors  "  which  we  now  issue  was  first  published  during  his 
lifetime.  From  himself  we  had  permission  to  make  use 
of  his  writings  at  our  own  discretion.  The  book  received 
his  hearty  approval  and  generous  commendation.  Thus 
he  wrote  :  "  We  are  prejudiced  by  the  appearance  of  the 
volume,  by  the  subject,  and  by  the   name  of  the  author. 


vi  PREFACE. 

whom  we  highly  esteem.  The  prejudice  is,  however,  wholly^ 
favorable.  We  are  honored  by  being  so  favorably  pre- 
sented to  the  American  public." 

Throughout  the  work,  which  was  prepared  as  a  tribute  of 
love,  we  have  aimed  to  present  our  subject  in  the  glowing 
light  of  his  own  words  and  deeds.  Eulogies  and  rhapso- 
dies would  have  been  utterly  needless.  The  obtrusion  of 
our  opinions,  even  though  set  forth  in  choicest  language, 
would  only  prove  the  display  of  folly.  Such  a  form  of 
egotism  would  sadly  mar  the  object  in  view.  In  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  history  no  man  should  be  seen  but  himself;  no 
voice  be  heard  but  his  own.  To  supply  the  links  which 
complete  the  historical  chain  of  events  binding  the  man 
and  his  work  together  is  a  task  befitting  the  hand  of  an 
angel.  We  grieve  that  our  few  links  are  not  the  finest 
gold  ;  love  for  the  memory  of  the  lion-hearted  man  would, 
were  it  possible,  provide  better. 

The  present  revision  of  our  book  demands  a  chapter  on 
the  closing  years  of  this  loyal  servant  of  Christ.  That 
pathetic  duty  is  fulfilled.  The  indulgent  reader  must  over- 
look its  defects  ;  we  bespeak  their  sympathetic  considera- 
tion. Who  is  sufficient  for  so  lofty  a  theme  ?  Who  can 
properly  outline  the  sublime  events  culminating  in  the 
lamented  death  of  so  kingly  a  character  ? 

That  this  record  of  the  noble  deeds  and  potential 
speech  of  the  last,  yet  greatest  of  puritans  may  continue 
to  comfort  the  feeble-minded,  cheer  the  faint,  rebuke  the 
indolent,  arouse  the  sleeper,  and  save  the  impenitent  is  the 
prayer  of 


^t<5.'  C-  njiS^HcLK^^^- 


Philadeli'hia,  Pa., 

March,  1892. 


INTRODUCTION 

By  Rev.  A.  J.  GORDON,  D.D. 


nr^O  have  the  ear  of  the  people  is  a  great  thing,  and  much  to  be 
-*■  coveted  by  the  minister  of  the  gospel,  if  only  it  be  certain  that 
God  has  the  minister's  ear.  If  it  be  not  so,  and  the  preacher  has  thou- 
sands hanging  on  his  lips,  who  himself  does  not  hang  on  God's  lips 
with  the  daily  cry  "  Speak  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth,"  it  may  be  a 
calamity.  In  other  words,  popularity  without  piety  —  the  magnetism 
which  draws  the  people,  without  the  communion  which  draws  daily 
supplies  of  truth  and  inspiration  from  God  —  is  not  to  be  envied.  There 
are  some  preachers,  who  have  had  an  immense  following  in  this  gen- 
eration, the  secret  of  whose  success  would  seem  to  lie  in  their  skill  in 
compounding  emollients  for  itching  ears.  "  Make  men  think  well  of 
themselves  if  you  would  have  them  think  well  of  you,"  is  Lord  Chester- 
field's receipt  for  popularity.  But  it  happens  that  the  gospel,  if  faith- 
fully preached,  tends  to  make  men  think  meanly  of  themselves  ;  and 
therefore  it  is  not  unlikely  to  make  them  dislike  the  servant  of  Christ 
who  has  told  them  the  truth.  If,  however,  we  can  find  a  minister  who 
is  pungent  while  he  is  popular,  who  pierces  the  heart  with  conviction 
while  he  nails  the  ear  with  persuasion,  we  shall  have  to  confess  that  God 
is  with  him  of  a  truth.  The  highest  tribute  ever  paid  to  Whitefield's 
power,  we  fancy,  was  that  of  Franklin,  who,  in  a  bewildered  way,  con- 
fessed that  he  could  not  understand  why  such  crowds  should  rush  after 
a  preacher  who  was  always  accusing  them  of  being  as  bad  by  nature  as 
the  beasts.  We  hold  that  no  pulpit  can  be  steady  and  secure  in  its 
position  which  has  not  repulsions  as  well  as  attractions,  which  does 
not  declare  God's  wrath  against  sin  while  it  proclaims  His  love  toward 


viii  INTRODUCTIOx\. 

the  sinner.  What  a  testimony  to  the  fidelity  of  apostolic  preaching;  it  is, 
that  in  the  same  Scripture  in  which  it  is  said  that  "believers  were  the 
more  added  to  the  Lord,  multitudes  both  of  men  and  women,"  it  is 
also  wiitten,  '•''and  of  the  rest  durst  no  man  Join  liinisclf  to  them  !  " 

Among  the  popular  preachers  of  this  generation  Mr.  Spurgeon  has 
been  singularly  distinguished  for  his  plain  and  pungent  declaration  of 
the  whole  gospel,  in  its  severe  as  well  as  its  tender  and  winning  aspects. 
His  pulpit  has  sounded  its  message  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  but  the 
ends  of  the  earth  have  not  been  told  that  the  old  gospel  of  regeneration 
is  effete,  and  must  now  give  place  to  some  gospel  of  evolution,  or  that 
the  ancient  theology  has  fallen  into  such  a  sad  plight,  that  if  tolerated 
at  all,  it  must  be  as  the  old  faith  in  a  new  light.  And  in  the  success 
which  has  attended  his  ministry,  a  grateful  demonstration  has  been 
given,  that  the  old  faith  is  perfectly  adequate  to  the  wants  of  the  world, 
needing  only  to  be  reproduced  in  new  lives.  We  should  call  Mr.  Spurgeon 
the  Nineteenth-century  Puritan,  if  not  in  his  austerity  of  life,  certainly  in 
the  substance  and  style  of  his  preaching.  This  is  crisp,  direct,  smiting. 
It  is  not  so  unadorned  as  to  render  the  truth  which  it  conveys  dull  or 
repulsive,  nor  so  rhetorical  as  to  render  that  truth  obscure,  as  a  rich 
melody  is  sometimes  covered  over  and  suffocated  in  a  musician's  vari- 
ations. As  we  listen  we  become  interested,  and  as  we  become  interested,, 
we  are  searched  and  convinced.  Here  is  the  high  merit  of  his  preaching  ; 
it  is  evidently  shaped  to  attract  men  to  God,  rather  than  to  the  servant 
of  God  ;  it  is  manifestly  the  utterance  of  one  who,  like  plain  John  Wool- 
man  the  Quaker,  is  "jealous  over  himself,  lest  he  should  say  anything  to 
make  his  testimony  look  agreeable  to  that  mind  in  the  people  which  is 
not  in  pure  obedience  to  the  Cross  of  Christ."  Some  preach  the  Cross 
in  anything  but  a  crucified  style,  —  inlaying  it  with  such  fancies  of  liberal 
thought  or  overlaying  it  with  such  charms  of  a  carnal  imagination,  tliat 
its  offence  is  nullified,  and  it  becomes  the  symbol  of  divine  indifference 
and  toleration,  rather  than  the  sign  of  God's  anger  against  sin,  while  it  is 
the  revelation  of  His  infinite  love  to  the  sinner.  Our  preacher  has  con- 
stantly declared  the  doctrines  of  the  Cross,  with  rare  fidelity,  sharp 
distinctness,  and  exemplary  boldness.  The  Coming  and  Kingdom  of 
Christ  have  also  had  their  proper  place  in  his  scheme  of  doctrine.  If 
the  old  preachers  used  to  insist  on  the  two  R's,  as  containing  the  sum  of 
pulpit  teaching,  —  Ruin  and  Redemption,  —  we  need,  in  this  generation, 
with  equal  emphasis  to  demand  fidelity  to  the  two  C's,  —  the  Cross  and 
the  Coming  of  Christ.     We  say  this  because  the  new  theology  is  doing 


INTRODUCTION.  ix 

its  best  to  make  away  with  the  latter  doctrine.  It  would  reduce  the 
second  advent  of  Christ  to  some  past  historical  or  vaguely  present  event, 
obscuring  it  in  the  dust  and  tumult  of  Titus's  siege  of  Jerusalem,  or 
diffusing  it  into  the  glittering  generalities  of  modern  progress.  We  are 
not  prepared  to  accept  a  complaisant  satisfaction  with  nineteenth-century 
progress,  as  an  adequate  substitute  for  "  that  blessed  hope,  the  glorious 
appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ;"  or  to  admit 
a  Swedenborgian  elimination  taking  place  at  every  man's  death,  into 
the  place  once  held  by  the  doctrine  of  a  literal  bodily  resurrection  oc- 
curring at  the  second  advent  of  Christ.  And  we  are  especially  grateful 
to  the  London  preacher  for  his  clear,  ringing  utterances  on  these  points, 
—  for  his  unequivocal  advocacy  of  Christ's  Premillennial  Coming  and  the 
First  Resurrection.  But  these  are  only  a  few  things  for  which  we  are 
beholden  to  that  eminent  ministry.  Being  asked  to  write  an  introduction 
to  the  new  and  enlarged  edition  of  this  excellent  volume,  we  commend 
the  life  which  it  delineates,  and  the  work  which  it  portrays,  to  all 
friends  of  a  sound  gospel,  and  to  all  lovers  of  good  and  true  men.  How 
great  is  the  debt  which  we  all  owe  to  the  pulpit  of  the  Metropolitan 
Tabernacle  of  London.  In  an  age  that  is  running  greedily  after  theolog- 
ical novelties,  the  steady,  conservative  anchoring  power  of  that  pulpit 
has  been  felt  wherever  the  English  language  is  spoken,  and  wherever 
in  any  tongue  the  gospel  is  preached.  The  book  gives  a  graphic  descrip- 
tion of  the  preacher  and  tabulates  the  work  he  has  accomplished  with 
painstaking  fidelity. 

Clarendon  Street  Church, 
Boston,  Mass. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

Four  Pen  Pictures.  —  The  Wliitfield  of  the  Nineteenth  Century.  —  Second 
Photograph.  — Third  Photograph.  —  Last  Photograph.  —  Letter  to  his 
Uncle.  —  Glorying  in  Grace.  —  "  The  Boy  i.s  Father  to  the  Man."  — 
A  Great  Statesman.  —  Youth  and  Old  Age.  —  Middle  Life.  —  "  All  my 
Springs  are  in  Thee.''  —  Pastor  James  H.  Brookes.  —  Mr.  Spurgeon 
in  the  Dingy  Chapel. — ^  His  Prayer.  —  The  Sermon.  —  "Thank  God 
for  Spurgeon  !  "  — A  Flash  of  Genius. —  Sensational  Preachers. —  Mr. 
Spurgeon  is  a  Manly  Man.  —  Herculean  Labors.  —  Dr.  Chalmers.  —  A 
Living  Man.  —  Bishop  Nicholson.  —  A  Pastor's  Testimony.  —  A  Many- 
sided  Man.  —  Mr.  Spurgeon's  Personal  History.  —  Motives  in  this 
Work.  —  Mr.  Spurgeon's  Example.  —  Teaching  of  the  Great  Preacher. 
—  The  Bible. —  Business  Men  who  need  a  Book.  —  Wit  and  Homely 
Wisdom.  —  "  A  Labor  of  Love  ** 


CHAPTER   n. 

ANCESTRY,    PARENTAGE,    BIRTH. 

History  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  his  Forty-third  Birthday.  —  Ancestors.  —  Great 
Grandfather.  —  Grandfather.  —  A  Long  Pastorate.  —  Great  Usefulness. 

—  Buckled  Shoes  and  Silk  Stockings.  —  The  Father  of  Charles.  —  Per- 
sonal Worth  and  Ministerial  Ability.  —  The  Beloved  Mother.  —  Charley 
a  Baptist. — June  19,  1834,  their  Son  Charles  Ijorn.  —  A  Noble  Mother. 
"  The  Children  will  be  cared  for."  —  Precocity.  —  Richard  Knill's 
Prophecy.  —  The  Bottomless  Pit.  —  Mr  Knill  and  the  Lad.  —  Strang-; 
Fulfilment.  —  Sowing  beside  all  Waters.  —  Aunt  Ann.  —  "  Old  Bonner." 

—  School.  —  Reason  and  Revelation     .     .  • .     .     21 


XII  CONTEN'iS. 

CHAPTER   III. 

CONVERSION    AND    PREACHING. 

Deep  Conviction.  —  Heart  broken  in  Pieces. —  One  Snowy  Day.  —  "  Look, 
look,  look  !  "  —  How  to  preach.  —  A  Bit  for  Boys.  —  A  Grateful  Heart. 
—  Baptism.  —  Consecration.  —  First  Sermon.  —  Results.  —  First  Pas- 
torate.—  Cornelius  Elven. —  Hindered  trom  goixig  to  College.  —  An 
Aversioa  to  College.  —  Sunshine.  —  Poem  at  Age  of  Eighteen       .     •     •    3i 

CHAPTER   IV. 

CALL   TO    LONDON. 

The  Youthful  Evangehst.  —  Mr.  Spurgeon  came,  preached,  conquered.  — 
The  Congregation  stirred.  —  Letters  to  the  Church.  —  Six  Months'  Invi- 
tation. —  The  Small  Minority,  —  I  accept  it.  —  Fame  of  the  Young  Min- 
ister. —  Who  is  this  Spurgeon  ?  —  Asiatic  Cholera.  —  The  Shoemaker's 
Window.  —  Publication  of  Sermons.  —  The  Preacher's  Style.  —  A 
Quaker's  Criticism.  —  Exeter  Hall.  —  First  Visit  to  Scotland.  —  Open- 
air  Sermon.  —  Anne  Sims.  —  Watchnight  Service.  —  Clergymen  using 
his  Sermons 49 


CHAPTER  V. 

ABUNDANT    IN    LABORS 

Marriage.  —  Twin  Boys.  —  New  Park-street  Chapel  enlarged.  —  Royal 
Surrey  Gardens  Music  Hall. —  The  Great  Tabernacle.  —  The  Aris- 
tocracy. —  Membership  in  Ten  Years,  3,569.  —  The  Queen  of  Holland. 

—  Invited  to  America.  —  "  Nor  would  I  receive  Money  for  Preaching." 

—  Twenty  Thousand  formed  the  Preacher's  Audience.  —  Pen  Pictures, 

—  Incessant  Duties. —The  First  Student.— "  Married  Love"      ...     63 


CHAPTER  VI. 

REVIVALS. 

"Our  Own  Hymn  Book."— The  Colportage  Association.  — "Spurgeonism." 
—  Mr.  Spurgeon  in  Paris.  —  Costermongers.  —  "  Wot  a  Woice  ! ''  —  Im- 
mense Congregations  in  the  Agricultural  Hall.  —Visit  to  Heligoland  73 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

CHAPTER   VII. 

MULTIPLYING   WORK. 

The  Orphan  Houses.  —  A  Great  Festival.  —  "  Onmy  Back."  —  His  Brother 
Co- Pastor. —  Prophetic  Words  of  Richard  Knill.  —  A  Darl<  Shadow. — 
Strange  Tales. — "A  Black  Business'  — Small-Pox.  —  Encouraging 
Pastors. — Remarkable  Energy  and  Activity- — Visit  to  Italy.  —  King 
Victor  Immanuel. —  "Feathers  for  Arrows."  —  The  Bible  as  a  Daily 
School-Book .81 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

RESULTS    OF    OVERWORK. 

Additions  to  the  Church.  —  Jersey  and  Guernsey.  —  Telegram  from  Bos- 
ton.—  A  Second  Tabernacle.  —  Membersln'pin  1873,4,417.  —  Well  done, 
Pastor  Spurgeon!  —  The  Jubilee  Singers. — Strange  and  Interesting 
Facts.  —  Helping  Newman  Hall.  —  Literary  Labors.  —  The  New  College     91 

CHAPTER   IX. 

TRIALS    AND    DELIVERANCES. 

Debts  paid,  but  Bank  empty. — George  Miiller. — Mr.  Spurgeon  in  Bed- 
ford.—  Smoking*to  the  Glory  of  God.  —  A  Noble  Reply. —  Charles  and 
Thomas.  —  Declining  a  Testimonial.  —  "  Twenty  Years  of  Published 
Sermons."  —  Twofold  Marvel.  —  Generous  Distributions.  —  Gout.  — 
Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey.  —  Best  Remedy  against  Infidelity.  — The 
Cabman  and  the  Testament.  —  A  Great  Grief 99 


CHAPTER   X. 

DEVISING  LIBERAL   THINGS. 

The  Work  of  Mrs.  Bartlett.  —  "House  of  Mercy.'  —  November  Fogs  in 
London.—  Dr.  Brock  and  Mr.  Spurgeon.  —  Weekly  OflFerings.  —  Grand- 
father, Father,  and  Son.  —  The  Pastor's  Birthday.  ~  Five  Spureeons 
delivered  Addresses.  —  The  College  Tutor  and  the  Young  Man.  —  "  Laid 
Aside.  Why?"  — "The  Tabernacle  was  as  full  as  a  Barrel  packed 
with  Herrings."  — Mr.  Spurgeon  in  Scotland.  —  Rescue  the  Peri.shing. 
—  Assailed  by  some  Newspapers.  —  A  Letter  from  Austria.  —  Mr. 
Spurgeon  addresses  Merchants  and  Business  Men.  — Controversy.  — 
A  Flower  Mission. —Variety  of  Agencies.  —  Extensive  Benevolence 
and  Philanthropy.  —  Forty-third  Birthday.  —  The  Pastoral  Silver  Wed- 
ding.—  The  Almshouses  , -....ill 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XI. 

THE    METROPOLITAN   TABERNACLE. 

History  of  the  Church.  —  Modest  Ministers.  —  Best  Excuse  for  Writing  a 
History.  —  The  Church  born  in  Stormy  Times.  —  1645.  —  First  Pastor. 
OHver  Cromwell.  —  Benjamin  Keach.  —  Keach  upon  the  Pillory.  —  The 
Cross  is  the  Way  to  the  Crown.  —  A  Voluminous  Writer.  —  Remarkal)le 
Answer  to  Prayer. —  Benjamin  Stinton.  — John  Gill.  —  The  Great  Lin- 
guist. —  "  I  neither  thought  it,  nor  bought  it,  nor  sought  it."  —  Two  New 
Tunes.  —  David's  Tunes.  — The  Jokes  were  Ponderous.  —  The  Scissors 
and  the  Long  Tongue.  —  Not  afraid  to  be  Poor. — John  Rippon. — 
■  An  Address  to  George  III.  —  Two  Ministers  during  One  Hundred 
and  Seventeen  Years.  —  Joseph  Angus.  —  James  Smith.  —  "Just  like  a 
Packet  that  is  all  ready."  —  Charles  H.   Spurgeon.  —  The  Tabernacle. 

—  James  Spurgeon.  —  A  Working  Church.  —  Taliernacle  Building  Fund, 

—  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  Book  Fund.  —  V^arious  Missions 125 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

THE  PASTORS'    COLLEGE. 

Colleges  a  Bane  or  a  Blessing.  —  "Schools  of  the  Prophets."  —  First- 
born and  Best  Beloved.  —  Mode  of  training  Preachers.  —  Our  Principal 
Tutor.  —  Carriage  for  Sale.  —  The  Last  Pound.  —  Forty  Students. — 
Great  Trial  of  Faith.  —  All-sufficient  Provider.  —  A  Miracle  if  all  should 
excel  —  Plan  of  Separate  Lodging.  —  Eighty  to  One  Hundred.  —  Efficient 
Tutors. —The  Good  Earl  of  Shaftesbury. — Various  Ways  in  which 
God  has  answered  Prayer.  —  Suitable  and  Commodious  New  Build- 
ings.—  Large  Amounts. —  Laus  Deo I47 


CHAPTER    XHI. 

STOCKWELL   ORPHANAGE. 

The  Care  of  the  Orphan.  —  Mrs.  Hillyard's  Offer  of  $100,000.  —  Founda- 
tions laid.  —  Silver- Wedding  House.  —  Merchant's  House.  —  Work- 
men's House.  —  Unity  House.  —  College  House.  —  Testimonial  House. 

—  Selling  Household  Plate.  —  Munificent  Gifts.  —  Selecting  Orphans. 

—  The  Management.  —  Many  Applicants.  —  Various  Gifts.  —  Encour- 
aging Results. —  Health  of  the  Inmates 161 


CONTENTS.  ^V- 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
A   SPECIMEN   ANNUAL   REPORT. 

Twelfth  Report.  —  Faith  in  God.  —  Special  Providence.  —  The  Ever- 
opened  Hand.  —  Sanitary  (^^ondition.  —  Family  Worship.  —  Total 
Abstainers.  —  Christian  Sympathy.  —  Song  Services.  —  Spontaneous 
Benevolence.  —  Carin:.^  for  the  Widow  and  Fatherless.  —  "The  Ser- 
mon House."  —  •'  The  Limes.''  —  "  The  Olives."  —  A  Great  Square.  — 
Memorials.  ...  .  173 

CHAPTER    XV. 

THE   GIRLS'  ORPHANAGE. 

The  Late  Testimonial. — "Go  Forward."  —  Never  been  in  Debt.  —  A 
Grand  Opportunity.  —  The  Lord  will  provide.  —  One  Thousand  Dollars 
a  Week.  —  Five  Hundred  Little  Ones.  —  A  Reasonable  Service     .     .     .   183 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

SUNSHINE   IN    THE    HEART. 

Removed  by  Death.  —  A  Heritage  of  Disease.  —  Dying  Experiences. — 
Child-piety  of  the  Theorists.  —  Ernest  Bray.  —  Soul-Winning.  —  Deep- 
seated  Disease.  —  ''It  looks  More  Shining!"  —  "I  shall  sing  out 
Loud."  —  Your  Lovinj:  Brother.  —  Happy  now.  —  "I  am  ready."  — 
"Dear  Mr.  Spurgeon."  —  "  Dear  Bray."  —  "Bray's  Bricks."  —  Plum 
Cake.  —  Jesus,  come  quickly.  —  "  There  's  Jesus  ! "  -  -  "  Happy,  happy, 
happy  !  "  —  Mr.  Goujih.  —  Gymnastic  Exercises.  —  A    Penny    apiece. 

—  The    Sick    Boy.  —  The    Prayer. —  The   Greater  and  Grander  Man. 

—  Aim  of  the  Managers 189 

CHAPTER    XVn. 

THE   COLPORTAGE   ASSOCIATION. 

I  he  Object  of  this  Association.  —  Unsectarian  in  its  Operations.  —  The 
Printing- Press.  —  Pernicious  Literature.  —  Reports  from  Superinten- 
dents. —  Distributed  4,620  Tracts.  —  Practical  Usefulness  of  the  Col- 
portage  Work.  —  The  Untabulated  Results.  —  Sold  2S9  Bibles  and  1,229 
Testaments.  —  Prevalence  of  Evil  Literature  and  its  Cure.  —  Conver- 
sions through  Books.  —Gratuitous  Tract  Distribution  and  its  Results. — 

—  The  Pipe-Light.  —  Mr.  Spurgeon's  Sermons  — Prayer  under  th^; 
Hedge. —  Preaching  the  Gospel  from  House  to  House.  —  Addressin"- 
the  Colliers.  —  The  Colporteur's  Sabbath.  —  Conversion  Work.  —  The 
Colporteur  and  Temperance.  —  Branch  of  the  Great  Tree     .     .     -..20^ 


XVI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

LETTERS. 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  Voluminous  Correspondence.    -  From  Sydney.  —  Victoria. 

—  South  Africa. —  Denmark.  —  North  America.     -  Florida  —  Michigan. 

—  Quebec. — Fifteen-Hundredth  Sermon.  —  .A  Cheering  Note. — Rus- 
sia.— India.  —  Germany. —  F" ranee  —  A  Fisherman.  —  China. — Tennes- 
see.—  A  Young  Swiss  Lady.  —  Results  in  (]erm  my  and  Russi.i.  —  Vir- 
ginia. —  Dr.  Alexander  Keith.  — Jersey.  —  Glasgow.  —  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
Chinese  Name,  "  Sze-Pah-jing"  —  The  Spare  Leaf. — One  Volume  of 
Sermons.  —  Ireland.  —  South  Au'^tralia.  —  Jamaic.i.  —  The  Scilly  Isles. 

—  Extraordinary  Appeal  on  Behaif  of  Sailors  217 

CHAPTER    XIX. 
PERSONAL    NOTES. 

How  the  "Notes"  are  received.  —  President  Garfield.  —  Burden  for  Souls. 

—  A  Specimen  Week.  —  Sermon  1,351.  —  Dr.  Carson's  Testimony. — 
Sermon  1,461.  —  Sermon  399.  —  Spurgeon  reduced  to  Sixpence.  —  Sharp 
Pains.  —  Saying  Good-by  to  Son  Thomas. — A  French  Nobleman. — 
Sermon  No.  444.  —  Sermon  No.  86  — A  Sea- Captain.  —  Misrepresenta- 
tions.—  Dr.  Livingstone's  Yellow  Relic.  —  Sowing  Seed  in  Servia. — 
Mr.  Spurgeon  Nervous.  —  Canon  Wilberforce  and  Lord  Radstock.  — 
Christmas  Festivities.  —  Hip,  Hip,  Hurrah  !  — New  York  Baptist  Mini- 
sters' Conference.  —  Spontaneous  Sympathy  appreciated 234 

CHAPTER    XX. 
MRS.    SPURGEON'S    WORK. 

Avoidmg  Fulsome  Eulogies.  —  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  Mission.  —  Her  Peculiar 
Ministry.  —  The  Book  Fund.  —  Poor  Ministers  are  the  Rule  —  '"Work- 
ers with  a  Slender  Apparatus."  —  Previous  Testimony.  —  Warm  Grati- 
tude evoked. — The  Clover  Field. — The  Longed-for  Treasure.— 
Pastors'  Aid  Society.  —  Wifely  Eulogy.  —  '"Prince  of  her  Life."  — 
"Red-Letter  Day."  —  Tlie  Lord's  Tender  Care.  —  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
Letter  — John  Ploughman  and  John  Gough.  —  Clothing  for  Pastors' 
Families. — "How  shall  I  praise  Him?" — Suffering  and  Service. — 
Living  for  Others.  —  The  Good  Old  Corn  of  Canaan.  —  Bookless  Pas- 
tors.—  Mrs.  .Spurgeon's  Fine  Sympatliy.  —  The  Missionary  Working 
Society. — Annual  Report.  —  Extracts  from  Letters. —  Imprisoned 
Music.  —  Sweet  Comfort  2s-j 


xvii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

PITHY   SAYINGS. 

The  American  Divine.  —  "  More  Bowels  tinn  Brains."  —  The  Stalwart 
Dean.  —  "Bowels  of  Mercies."  —  "What  does  C.  H.  S.  mean?" — Mon- 
keys and  Parrots.  —  Mr.  Spurgeon  draws  Twenty  Thousand.  —  Studying 
the  Sciences.  —  Eighteen  Hundred  Sermons.  —  Modern  Philosophy.— 
Vivisection.  —  Spurgeon  a  Bulwark.  —  "Rev."  and  "  D.D." — Mrs. 
Partington.  —  Harping  on  the  String  of  Liberality.  —  Mrs.  Brumby.  — 
Sticking  Parsons.  —  Poetic  Effiisionists.  —  An  Assyrian  Poem.  —  Refus- 
ing Calls.  —  Curious  Visitors.  —  Where  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  most  at 
Home.  —  On  Cross-liearing.  —  Clirist  "altogether  lovely."  —  Untiring 
Delight.  —  The  Fulness  of  Christ 275 


CHAPTER    XXH. 

INCREASING    USEFULNESS. 

Christian  Philanthropy.  —  Our  Recent  Visit.  —  The  Earl  of  Shaftesbury. 

—  Theorizers.  —  The  Church.  —  The  Printed  Sermons.  —  The  Old 
Scotchman.  —  Sermons  fruit-bearing.  —  Tiie  College  —  A  Striking 
Letter.  —  Unitarian  Negations.  —  The  Orphanage.  —  The  Book  Fund. 

—  The  Late  Carlyle.  —  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  Letter.  —  Description  of  a 
London  Fog.  —  The  Riviera.  —  Celebrations  of  a  Golden  Wedding-day. 

—  "  We  are  Seven  " 293 


CHAPTER    XXTH. 
ASLEEP   IN   JESUS. 

Unmeasured  Years.  —  A  Model  Preacher.  —  Living  for  Others.  —  Sir 
Knight.  —  Jesus  betrayed.  —  Protestant  England.  —  Romanizers.  — 
Rationalism.  —  The  Baptist  Union.  —  Articles  of  Faith.  —  Reply  to  Reso- 
lution of  Sympathy. —  Withdrawal  from  Union.  —  Fatal  Sickness. — 
Final  Addresses.  —  Death.  —  Memorial  Services.  —  Funeral  Ceremonies. 
—  Spurgeon  sleepeth.  —  Last  Sermon.  —  Secret  of  His  Success.  —  Life's 
History.  —  Mr.  Sankey's  Tribute.  —  Good-night 305 

GLIMPSES    OF   THE    HEAVENLY    LIFE .     =     ...  321 


INTRODUCTORY. 


Behold,  at  this  hour  our  moral  hi^tory  is  being  preserved  for  eternity. 
Processes  are  at  work  which  will  perpetuate  our  every  act  and  word  and 
thought.  Not  alone  the  last  page,  but  every  line  and  letter  of  our  actual 
history,  is  being  stereotyped  for  the  world's  perusal  in  the  day  which  slnall 
reveal  the  secrets  of  men.  We  are  not  writing  upon  the  water,  but  carving 
upon  imperishable  material.  The  chapters  of  our  history  are  "  graven  with 
an  iron  pen  and  lead  in  the  rock  for  ever."  —  C.  H.  Spurgeom. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


"\T  7E  first  introduce  the  preacher  as  he  was  when,  in  early 
*  ^  manhood,  both  his  manner  and  matter  startled  England 
out  of  her  reverie,  and  awoke  many  sleepers  on  distant  shores. 
A  Bristol  college  man  gives  us  four  pen  pictures  of  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
taken  five  and  thirty  years  ago,  and  kept  ever  since  in  the  album 
of  memory.  To  those  who  did  not  see  the  Evangelist-pastor  in 
his  younger  days,  these  photographs  will  be  full  of  interest;  to 
those  who  have  neither  heard  nor  seen  him,  they  present  the  man 
in  early  life  in  all  the  vigor  and  power  of  fresh  manhood.  After 
seeing  a  picture,  we  become  interested  in  the  subject  and  present 
our  inquiries.  The  antecedents  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  and  his  subse- 
quent history,  will  be  given  later  on.  Remember,  the  pictures 
are  those  of  a  very  young  man,  whose  career  had  already  been 
watched  for  some  time  with  absorbing  interest  by  millions  of 
people.     Thus  the  college  man  writes :  — 

It  was  from  the  lips  of  my  tutor,  who  was  an  earnest  Christian 
man  as  well  as  an  able  scholar,  that  I  first  heard  the  name  of  the 
popular  minister  who  had  even  then  made  New  Park  Street  Church 
famous.  It  was  my  last  year  at  school,  and  I  enjoyed  rather  more 
liberty  than  the  other  boys.  Need  1  add  that,  after  receiving  the 
permission,  it  was  not  long  before  I  was  trying  to  make  my  way 
into  the  pretty,  and  then  newly  built,  chapel  where  Mr.  Hebditch 
preached?  The  place  was  quite  full,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that 
I  managed  to  ensconce  myself  behind  the  pulpit.  A  few  minutes 
afterwards,   Mr.  Spurgeon  ascended  the  latter,  and  I  saw  for  the 


4  LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

first  time  the  preacher  who  was  to  be  the  Whitfield  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  My  recollection  of  the  appearance  of  the  youth- 
ful divine  is  very  vivid.  Already  inclined  to  be  stout,  with  a  face 
somewhat  pale,  and  innocent  of  beard  or  mustaches,  but  often 
played  over  by  a  genial  smile  which  won  your  confidence  at  once, 
with  fearless,  kindly  eyes  that  told  of  the  bold  spirit  and  warm 
heart  within,  with  black  hair  lightly  tossed  off  the  open  brow,  with 
gestures  rather  more  frequent  and  rhetorical  than  those  with  which 
the  great  preacher  now  indulges,  the  hand  being  often  uplifted, 
and  with  that  rich,  round,  full  voice  which  has  never  failed  to 
charm  with  its  music  those  who  have  had  the  privilege  of  listening 
to  it,  I  still  see  and  hear  Mr.  Spurgeon  as  he  preached  that  morn- 
ing at  the  chapel.  The  point  in  the  sermon  which  remained  clear 
in  my  mind  was  the  very  pronounced  teaching  of  the  doctrine  of 
Election,  and  the  preacher's  assertion  of  his  being  at  one  with 
Calvin  and  Augustine,  of  whom,  as  well  as  of  the  doctrine,  my 
knowledge  at  that  time  was  by  no  means  extensive.  At  the  close 
of  the  sermon,  as  Mr.  Spurgeon  stepped  down  from  the  pulpit, 
everybody  made  a  rush  at  his  unfortunate  hand;  and  I,  by  poking 
mine  through  the  rails,  managed  to  get  a  friendly  shake  from  it. 
I  have  often  thought  since,  when  seeing  Mr.  Spurgeon  coming 
down  from  other  pulpits,  or  among  his  own  people  at  the  Taber- 
nacle, or  surrounded  by  friends  on  successive  birthdays,  how  much 
he  must  have  suffered  in  that  way  during  all  these  years. 

My  second  photograph  was  taken  one  morning  in  dim,  dark 
surroundings  at  the  back  of  the  gloomy  gallery  at  Counterslip 
Chapel,  when  I  looked  down  upon  a  vast  congregation  below  and 
around  me,  and  upon  the  pulpit  at  the  other  end  of  the  chapel. 
Mr.  Spurgeon  entered  the  pulpit  accompanied  by  the  venerable 
Mr,  Winter,  who  was  at  that  time  minister  of  the  Counterslip,  and 
whose  knee-breeches  and  patriarchal  form  will  be  remembered  by 
many.  The  sermon  left  on  my  mind  a  sense  of  the  joy  with  which 
he  preached  and  of  the  fulness  oi  faith  in  which  he  uttered  his 
message  ;  the  striking  originality  and  the  wealth  of  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  preacher  were  features  which  could  not  escape  even 
such  a  juvenile  critic  as  I  was  at  that  time.  But  I  was  not  a  critic, 
1  was  a  rapt   and  enthusiastic   hearer.     Never  shall    I   forget  the 


INTRODUCTORY.  5 

passage  in  the  sermon  in  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  made  us  hear  the 
angels  harping  with  their  harps,  and  with  a  touch  of  simplicity 
but  great  power  told  us  how  he  always  stopped  in  the  streets  to 
listen  where  a  harp  was  being  played  in  the  neighborhood.  I  still 
see  the  rapturous  look  upon  the  upturned  face  of  the  youthful 
preacher  as  the  light  from  one  of  the  windows  fell  upon  it.  I  am 
inclined  to  think  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  gave  a  Httle  more  play  to  his 
imagination  then  than  now. 

Now  for  my  third  photograph.  This  time  I  am  standing  on 
tiptoe  at  the  back  of  the  Broad  Mead  Rooms,  trying  to  look 
above  a  great  sea  of  heads  at  the  crowded  platform  and  the  young 
preacher,  whom  all  are  so  eager  to  hear  that  there  is  no  little 
confusion  and  hustling  around  the  doors.  But  soon  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  voice  rolls  through  the  spacious  room  and  hushes  all  into 
silence.  The  Broad  Mead  Rooms  form  a  large  building,  with  a 
somewhat  low  roof,  and  with  side  galleries  rising  from  the  floor 
and  capable  of  holding  between  two  and  three  thousand  people. 
On  the  night  of  which  I  speak,  many  must  have  failed  to  obtain 
admission.  One  instance  in  connection  with  this  sermon  is  perhaps 
worth  mentioning.  Some  seats  had  been  reserved  and  a  small 
charge  made  for  them,  in  order  to  defray  the  expense  incurred 
by  hiring  the  rooms.  This  had  been  made  a  matter  of  complaint; 
and  Mr.  Spurgeon,  alluding  to  it,  remarked  that  he  had  heard  of 
a  lady  at  Exeter  who  had  given  a  guinea  in  order  to  hear  the 
gospel  preached.  The  perfect  simplicity  and  honesty  with  which 
this  was  said,  and  the  very  unconsciousness  of  its  being  capable 
of  being  twisted  into  anything  like  self-glorification,  impressed 
everybody  with  that  utter  losing  sight  of  himself  in  his  work 
which  has  ever  since  been  so  grand  a  characteristic  of  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  ministry.  I  may  add  that  at  this  time  the  Bristol  papers 
were  full  of  letters  and  articles  respecting  Mr.  Spurgeon's  preach- 
ing, not  a  few  containing  a  good  deal  of  hostile  criticism.  One 
article,  and  that  in  a  Tory  journal,  however,  stands  out  in  my 
memory  as  containing  a  very  vivid,  and,  I  am  disposed  to  think, 
fairly  impartial  account  of  an  open-air  service  conducted  by  Mr. 
Spurgeon  on  the  quay.  A  storm  came  on  during  the  service,  and 
Mr.  Spurgeon  spoke  of  one  of  the  flashes  of  lightning  as  "  God's 


6  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    STURGEON. 

spear  in  the  sky."     This  struck  the  writer  as  being  a  singularly 
happy  expression  —  a  flash  of  genius. 

My  last  photograph  was  also  taken  in  a  public  building,  in  the 
beautiful  Victoria  Rooms  at  Clifton,  which  are  said  to  be  capable 
of  containing  some  six  thousand  people.  However  that  may 
be,  they  could  not  have  held  more  than  they  did  on  the  summer 
evening  when  I  heard  Mr.  Spurgeon  preach  in  them.  I  do  not 
think  I  have  mentioned  that  at  that  period  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  in 
the  habit  of  wearing  a  white  necktie  of  the  most  correct  parsonic 
character,  which,  being  of  fair  dimensions  and  surmounted  by  a 
stand-up  collar,  served  with  its  virgin  whiteness  to  at  least  set  the 
beardless  face  in  strong  relief.  I  mention  it  now,  as  it  forms  a 
prominent  feature  in  my  recollection  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  appear- 
ance upon  that  evening,  sitting,  as  I  did,  at  some  distance  from, 
but  directly  in  front  of  the  platform.  The  scene  presented  by  the 
densely  crowded  Victoria  Rooms  upon  this  occasion,  with  the 
platform  filled  by  ministers,  in  front  of  whom  stood  the  earnest 
and  youthful  preacher,  was  one  which  still  shows  clearly  through 
all  the  years  that  have  passed  since  then.  The  golden  glow  of 
the  setting  sun  coming  through  the  window  lent  to  it,  too,  a  sin- 
gular impressiveness :  for  the  text  was,  "Thou  God  seest  me;" 
and  as  we  listened  to  the  heart-searching  eloquence  of  the  speaker, 
the  warm  light  which  flooded  the  room  seemed  almost  to  place  us 
more  fully  within  the  vision  of  the  all-seeing  eye. 

In  his  fifteenth  year  Mr.  Spurgeon  wrote  the  following  letter  to 
his  uncle,  in  which  the  vigor  of  his  mind,  the  boldness  of  his  faith, 
and  the  strength  of  his  will  are  clearly  manifest.  His  theological 
opinions  at  that  early  age  were  decided  and  outspoken.  The  in- 
definite doctrinal  teaching  of  the  pulpit  to-day  may  well  receive 
a  rebuke  from  the  positive  assertions  of  a  child.  In  no  period 
of  his  life  has  Mr.  Spurgeon  declared  himself  an  Agnostic,  —  a 
"  know-nothing."  For  many  reasons  this  letter  is  worthy  of  our 
perusal :  — 

My  dear  Uncle,  —  Dumb  men  make  no  mischief.  Your  si- 
lence, and  my  neglect,  make  one  think  of  the  da)-s  when  letters 


INTRODUCTORY.  7 

were  costly,  and  not  of  penny  postage.  You  have  doubtless  heard 
of  me  as  a  top-tree  Antinomian,  I  trust  you  know  enough  of  me 
to  disbelieve  it.  It  is  an  object  of  my  life  to  disprove  the  slander. 
I  groan  daily  under  a  body  of  sin  and  corruption.  Oh  for  the  time 
when  I  shall  drop  this  flesh,  and  be  free  from  sin !  I  become  more 
and  more  convinced  that  to  attempt  to  be  saved  by  a  mixed 
covenant  of  works  and  faith  is,  in  the  words  of  Berridge,  "  to  yoke 
a  snail  with  an  elephant."  I  desire  to  press  forward  for  direction 
to  my  Master  in  all  things ;  but  as  to  trusting  to  my  own  obe- 
dience and  righteousness,  I  should  be  worse  than  a  fool  and  ten 
times  worse  than  a  madman.  Poor  dependent  creatures!  prayer 
had  need  be  our  constant  employment:  the  foot  of  the  throne  our 
continued  dwelling-place ;  for  the  Rock  of  Ages  is  our  only  safe 
Hiding-place.  I  rejoice  in  an  assured  knowledge  by  faith  of  my 
interest  in  Christ,  and  of  the  certainty  of  my  eternal  salvation. 
Yet  what  strivings,  what  conflicts,  what  dangers,  what  enemies 
stand  in  my  way !  The  foes  in  my  heart  are  so  strong,  that  they 
would  have  killed  me  and  sent  me  to  hell  long  ere  this,  had  the  Lord 
left  me;  but,  blessed  be  his  name!  his  electing,  redeeming,  and 
saving  love  has  got  fast  hold  of  me ;  and  who  is  able  to  pluck  me 
out  of  my  Father's  hand  ?  On  my  bended  knees  I  have  often  to 
cry  for  succor ;  and,  bless  his  name !  he  has  hitherto  heard  my 
cry  Oh,  if  I  did  not  know  that  all  the  Lord's  people  had  soul- 
contention,  I  should  give  up  all  for  lost !  I  rejoice  that  the  prom- 
ises left  on  record  are  meant  for  me  as  well  as  for  every  saint  of 
his,  and  as  such  I  desire  to  grasp  them.  Let  the  whole  earth,  and 
even  God's  professing  people,  cast  out  my  name  as  evil;  my  Lord 
and  Master,  he  will  not.  I  glory  in  the  distinguishing  grace  of 
God,  and  will  not,  by  the  grace  of  God,  step  one  inch  from  my 
principles,  or  think  of  adhering  to  the  present  fashionable  sort 
of  religion. 

Oh,  could  I  become  like  holy  men  of  past  ages,  —  fearless  of 
men,  —  holding  sweet  communion  with  God, — weaned  more  from 
the  world,  and  enabled  to  fix  my  thoughts  on  spiritual  things 
entirely !  But  when  I  would  serve  God,  I  find  my  old  deceitful 
heart,  full  of  the  very  essence  of  hell,  rising  up  into  my  mouth, 
polluting  all  I  say  and  all  I  do.     What  should  I  do  if,  like  you,  I 


8  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.   H.   SPURGEON. 

were  called  to  be  engaged  about  things  of  time  and  sense?  I 
fear  I  should  be  neither  diligent  in  business  nor  fervent  in  spirit. 
"But"  (say  you)  "he  keeps  talking  all  about  himself."  True, 
he  does ;  he  cannot  help  it.  Self  is  too  much  his  master.  I  am 
proud  of  my  own  ignorance :  and,  like  a  toad,  bloated  with  my 
own  venomous  pride,  —  proud  of  what  I  have  not  got,  and  boast- 
ing when  I  should  be  bemoaning.  I  trust  you  have  greater  free- 
dom from  your  own  corruptions  than  I  have;  and  in  secret,  social. 
and  family  prayer  enjoy  more  blessed,  sanctified  liberty  at  the 
footstool  of  mercy. 

Rejoice!  for  heaven  awaits  us,  and  all  the  Lord's  family!  The 
mansion  is  ready ;  the  crown  is  made ;  the  harp  is  strung ; 
there  are  no  willows  there.  May  we  be  enabled  to  go  on,  like 
lions,  valiant  for  the  truth  and  cause  of  King  Jesus,  and,  by  the 
help  of  the  Spirit,  vow  eternal  warfare  with  every  sin,  and  rest 
not  until  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  has  destroyed  all  the  enemies 
in  our  hearts. 

May  we  be  enabled  to  trust  the  Lord,  for  he  will  help  us;  we 
must  conquer ;  we  cannot  be  lost.  Lost !  Impossible  !  For  who 
is  able  to  snatch  us  out  of  our  Father's  hand? 

May  the  Lord  bless  you  exceedingly. 

Your  affectionate  nephew, 

C.  H.  Spurgeon. 

The  remark  of  the  poet,  "  The  boy  is  father  to  the  man,"  is 
strikingly  illustrated  in  Mr.  Spurgeon's  case. 

In  the  opening  of  the  year  of  grace,  1882,  in  his  forty-eighth 
year,  Mr.  Spurgeon  wrote  a  brief  article  for  his  magazine,  in  which 
we  discover  the  same  characteristics,  the  same  dependence  on 
God,  the  same  distrust  of  self,  the  same  doctrinal  position  and 
assured  certainty  through  the  gracp  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
We  subjoin  an  extract :  — 

A  great  statesman,  the  other  day,  celebrated  his  seventieth 
birthday  by  a  retrospect  of  his  life :  it  is  meet  that  old  age  should 
look  back.  To  us,  however,  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  it  seems 
more  natural  to  look  around  on  present  circumstances.  Years 
ago,  at  a  younger  age.  our  tendency  was  to  look  ahead,  and  long 


INTRODUCTORY.  9 

for  a  great  future ;  nor  would  we  forego  the  habit,  but  still  the 
pressure  of  long  years,  and  growing  burdens,  and  a  sense  of 
diminishing  strength  unite  to  keep  the  eyes  occupied  with  the 
things  of  to-day,  and  the  connection  of  the  present  with  the  infi- 
nite and  eternal.  It  appeared  to  us  when  looking  forward  that 
the  Christian  life-work  would  require  a  power  far  beyond  our  own ; 
but  now  we  more  intensely  feel  the  certainty  of  that  fact,  and  were 
it  not  for  divine  help  we  should  give  up  in  despair.  If  still  sus- 
tained, after  all  these  years  of  conflict,  grace  must  indeed  have  the 
glory  of  it,  and  here  upon  the  altar  of  the  present  we  would  offer 
the  calves  of  our  lips,  giving  glory  to  the  Lord,  the  God  of  our 
salvation.  Doubtless  divine  love  will  be  glorified  in  the  closing 
hours  of  the  mature  Christian,  but  it  is  emphatically  magnified  in 
the  stern  period  when  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day  are  on  the 
laborer,  when  the  novelty  and  romance  of  youth  are  over,  and  the 
nearness  of  the  reward  is  not  yet  vividly  certified  by  old  age.  Of 
all  parts  of  the  stream,  the  hardest  to  ford  is  the  middle :  there 
the  water  is  deepest,  the  current  swiftest,  and  the  footing  least 
secure.  Lord,  hold  thou  me  up,  and  I  shall  be  safe.  This  is  the 
prayer  which  oftenest  leaps  from  our  lips. 

"  Thus  saith  the  preacher,  vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity."  We 
have  lived  long  enough  to  experience  the  hollowness  of  earth,  and 
the  rottenness  of  all  carnal  promises.  Our  work,  though  it  be  holy, 
presses  heavily  upon  the  shoulder,  and  we  see  not  all  the  fruit 
of  it  which  we  expected  in  earlier  days.  Many  strong  helpers 
have  been  taken  away  by  death,  and  the  enthusiasm  which  made 
our  earlier  friends  leap  forward  with  their  aid  is  not  repeated  to 
the  full  at  a  second  sound  of  the  clarion.  The  decline  is  only 
apparent  to  fear ;  but  apprehension  has  the  eyes  of  a  hawk,  and 
spies  out  the  smallest  discouragement.  The  world  grows  better 
very  slowly:  we  sometimes  fear  that  it  grows  worse.  The  church 
relapses  to  her  former  sloth ;  the  good  are  weary,  and  the  wicked 
wax  impudent;  the  times  are  out  of  joint,  and  evil  days  arr 
threatening.  What  can  happen  better  to  a  man  than  to  go  home? 
Happy  is  he  who  is  taken  from  the  evil  to  come,  or  hears  the  sound 
of  his  descending  Master's  coming  ere  yet  the  shadows  of  the  day 
are  lengthened  to  the  utmost. 


lO  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.   H.    SPURGEON. 

Thus  does  middle  age  prose  when  it  is  under  the  influence  of  its 
most  sombre  hour.  The  ink  grows  thick,  and  the  pen  is  clogged, 
and  makes  black  strokes  and  heavy.  The  subject  should  be  treated 
in  a  more  believing  manner,  and  written  of  not  according  to  the 
flesh,  but  after  the  spirit.  Doubtless  length  of  days  tries  our 
graces,  but  what  length  of  days  have  we  to  speak  of,  — we  who 
are  sighting  fifty,  or  passing  beyond  it?  Half  a  century  is  a  trifle 
in  the  life  of  God.  True,  there  is  a  flagging  of  human  energy,  and 
the  warm  blood  of  youth  cools  down ;  but  our  Christian  life  never 
stood  in  the  strength  of  the  creature,  and  hence  it  cannot  flag, 
since  the  Creator  grows  not  old,  nor  is  his  arm  waxed  short.  The 
same  power  which  begat  will  preserve.  Omnipotence  first  made 
the  believer  rise  into  newness  of  life,  and  until  it  fails  his  life  will 
continue  ever  fresh  and  young.  Well  said  the  Psalmist,  "  All 
my  springs  are  in  thee."  What  if  others  suffer  shipwreck,  yet 
none  that  sail  with  Jesus  have  ever  been  stranded  yet.  Purposes, 
plans,  and  achievements  of  men  may  all  disappear  like  yon  cloud 
upon  the  mountain's  summit;  but,  like  the  mountain  itself,  the 
things  which  are  of  God  shall  stand  fast  for  ever  and  ever.  Now 
is  the  time,  in  the  lull  of  natural  energy,  to  prove  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  trees  of  earth  as  they  pass  their  prime  decrease 
the  quantity  and  quality  of  their  fruit:  it  is  a  mark  of  the  trees  of 
grace  that  they  still  bring  forth  fruit  in  old  age  to  show  that  the 
Lord  is  upright.  The  faithfulness  of  God  may  be  relied  upon  to 
work  a  growing  faithfulness  in  his  people.  Never  so  conscious 
of  dependence  as  in  this  middle  passage,  never  so  certain  of  the 
all-sufficiency  of  God  as  in  this  noontide  of  the  day,  we  joy  in 
the  Lord,  and  look  for  even  richer  mercies  than  ever. 

Young  men,  trust  God,  and  make  the  future  bright  with  blessing. 
Old  men,  trust  God,  and  magnify  him  for  all  the  mercies  of  the 
past.  As  for  us,  we  mingle  gratitude  and  expectation  in  equal 
portions,  and  pray  to  stand  in  this  present  hour  faithful  to  the 
Master  in  whose  grace  we  trust. 

Our  valued  friend,  Pastor  James  H.  Brookes,  of  St.  Louis, 
author  of  "  Maranatha,"  "  Is  the  Bible  True?"  "The  Way  made 
Plain,"  &c.,  and  editor  of  "  The  Truth,"  sent  us  the  following  com- 


INTRODUCTORY.  II 

munication,  which  we  deem  of  importance,  coming,  as  it  does, 
from  the  pen  of  an  experienced  minister  of  the  gospel  whose 
loyalty  to  Christ  and  the  Scriptures  cannot  be  questioned.  Mr. 
Spurgeon  was  in  his  twenty-eighth  year  at  the  time  of  Dr.  Brookes's 
visit  to  London,  —  the  time  of  life  when  men  usually  manifest  the 
vagaries  and  impetuosity  of  youth,  and  lack  those  marks  of  matu- 
rity which  are  seen  in  later  life.  But  even  in  youth  Mr.  Spurgeon 
spoke  with  the  experience  of  age,  though  with  the  fervor  and 
strength  of  young  manhood. 

One  of  my  strongest  desires  upon  arrival  in  London,  some 
years  ago,  was  to  hear  the  man  of  whom  I  had  read  so  much. 
This  desire  was  speedily  gratified,  and  under  circumstances  which 
I  knew  would  show  the  weak  points  of  his  character  if  these  were 
prominent.  In  looking  over  a  morning  newspaper,  I  noticed  that 
he  was  advertised  to  preach  on  a  week-day  in  some  obscure 
chapel.  No  one  of  whom  I  inquired  could  tell  me  anything  about 
the  place ;  but  with  the  aid  of  a  cabman  it  was  found,  and  proved 
to  be  a  small,  dingy  house,  that  would  be  crowded  with  an  audi- 
ence of  four  hundred.  It  was  not  more  than  half  filled,  and  the 
few  who  were  present  were  evidently  plain  people. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  was  fifteen  minutes  late,  and  I  felt  annoyed,  sup- 
posing that  he  took  advantage  of  his  notoriety  and  popularity  to 
consult  his  own  convenience  about  his  appointments.  At  length 
he  appeared,  walking  briskly  down  the  aisle,  and  ascended  the 
pulpit.  After  spending  a  moment  in  prayer,  he  arose,  and  in  a 
perfectly  simple  and  natural  manner,  as  if  he  were  speaking  to  a 
friend  by  his  fireside,  apologized  for  his  tardiness.  He  said  that 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life  he  had  failed  to  be  prompt ;  but  it  was 
not  his  fault,  for  he  had  preached  the  night  before  in  some  coun- 
try town,  had  taken  the  first  train  for  the  city,  and  had  hurried 
from  the  station  immediately  to  the  meeting-house,  without  even 
going  home  to  kiss  his  wife  and  little  boys.  Of  course  this  put 
every  one  in  good  humor. 

He  then  began  the  services  by  singing  "  Come,  Holy  Spirit, 
Heavenly  Dove,"  and  I  am  not  sure  that  he  did  not  start  the  tunc. 
However  this  may  have  been,  his  prayer  struck  upon  my  ear  and 


12  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 

heart  as  wonderful  for  its  humility,  earnestness,  directness,  and 
confidence.  His  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  with  his  brief  common- 
sense  remarks  and  expositions,  added  greatly  to  the  interest  of  the 
hearer  in  the  chapter  selected ;  and  the  sermon  that  followed  was 
certainly  one  of  the  best,  in  every  respect,  ever  preached  by  unin- 
spired man.  If  he  had  been  preaching  before  the  Queen  and  the 
nobility  of  England,  if  he  had  been  speaking  to  an  audience  of 
ten  thousand,  he  could  not  have  laid  out  greater  strength,  nor 
exhibited  greater  sincerity,  greater  intensity  of  interest  in  the 
delivery  of  his  message,  greater  concern  for  the  honor  of  his  Lord 
and  for  the  souls  of  his  hearers. 

"  Leaving  us  an  example,  that  ye  should  follow  his  steps,"  was 
his  text,  and  the  teachings  and  life  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour 
were  held  up  with  singular  clearness  and  fidelity  to  the  truth. 
The  first  part  of  his  discourse  was  doctrinal,  and  the  second  hor- 
tatory, or,  as  some  call  it,  practical,  —  although  it  was  all  most 
thoroughly  practical,  because  so  thoroughly  doctrinal.  I  remem- 
ber that  one  man  arose,  obviously  in  anger,  and  slowly  left  the 
house,  but  turned  now  and  then  to  look  at  the  preacher.  As 
he  withdrew,  Mr.  Spurgeon  reminded  him  of  the  sovereignty  of 
God,  and  the  sacrificial  death  of  our  Divine  Redeemer  as  the  only 
hope  of  the  lost  sinner,  and  then  went  on  to  urge  us  to  walk  like 
Him,  and  to  walk  worthy  of  Him,  as  His  friends  and  representa- 
tives on  the  earth.  The  sermon  was  very  searching  to  my  own 
soul,  and  I  determined  to  hear  no  one  else  during  my  stay  in 
London. 

Nor  did  I  hear  any  one  else,  except  one  afternoon  and  one  even- 
ing when  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  not  preaching,  or  when  he  was  preach- 
ing where  I  could  not  reach  him.  I  heard  him  in  Exeter  Hall ;  I 
heard  him,  on  my  return  from  the  Continent,  in  his  own  meeting- 
house, then  just  completed ;  and  I  never  heard  him  without  a  little 
thank-offering  of  my  own.  While  he  was  leading  the  vast  con- 
gregation in  prayer,  pouring  out  his  gratitude  to  God  for  all  his 
manifold  mercies,  spiritual  and  temporal,  I  invariably  sent  up  the 
incense  of  praise  from  my  own  heart  in  the  words,  "  Thank  God 
for  Spurgeon  !  "  Oh,  how  it  comforted  and  strengthened  me  to  see 
that  brave  witness  standing  there,  often  amid  reproach  and  ridicule 


INIRODUCTORY.  1 3 

and    slander,  telling    "  the    old,   old    story,"   and   bearing    faithful 
witness  to  the  truth,  whether  men  would  hear  or  forbear. 

It  was  a  cause  of  regret  to  me,  on  leaving  London  after  a  few 
weeks'  sojourn,  that  I  could  not,  at  least  for  some  months,  listen 
again  to  his  courageous  defence  of  God's  Word,  and  to  his  stirring 
appeals.  But  an  incident  occurred  during  my  absence  on  the 
Continent  that  illustrates  the  wide  sweep  of  the  man's  influence 
for  good.  For  some  weeks  I  was  detained  by  ill  health  in  Clarens, 
at  the  upper  end  of  Lake  Geneva.  One  day  I  climbed  the 
mountain,  and  came  to  a  solitary  cottage  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  the  village,  and  also  from  any  other  visible  habitation. 
Two  poor  women  were  sitting  upon  the  grass  before  the  door,  one 
reading,  while  the  other  was  sewing.  My  curiosity  was  excited  to 
know  what  book  had  found  its  way  to  that  lonely  and  desolate 
spot,  and  I  asked  the  woman  what  she  was  reading.  She  at  once 
held  up  the  book,  and  I  discovered  it  to  be  a  volume  of  Spur- 
geon's  sermons,  translated  into  French. 

The  last  sermon  I  heard  him  preach  was  in  London,  on  my 
return  to  my  own  country.  The  text  was,  "  At  that  time  Jesus 
answered  and  said,  I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth,  because  thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  pru- 
dent, and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes"  (Matt.  xi.  25).  It  was 
exceedingly  faithful,  as  was  all  I  heard  fall  from  his  lips ;  and  I 
recall  a  flash  of  genius,  as  the  world  terms  it,  which  shows  what 
he  could  do  in  the  way  of  eloquence  and  oratory,  if  he  cared  for 
such  things.  Speaking  of  those  who  are  so  well  satisfied  with 
themselves  and  with  their  surroundings  that  they  refuse  to  bow  to 
the  authority  of  God,  he  shouted,  "  You  will  not  glorify  him?  You 
will  not  glorify  him?"  Then  dropping  his  voice  to  a  low  and 
thrilling  tone,  he  said.  "Yes,  you  will,  and  you  shall.  I  tell  you 
the  groans  of  the  damned  in  hell  are  the  deep  bass  of  the  univer- 
sal anthem  of  praise  that  shall  ascend  to  the  throne  of  my  God 
for  ever  and  ever." 

I  doubt  whether  there  is  a  minister  of  the  gospel  in  Christen- 
dom, who  tries  to  be  true  to  the  Lord  and  to  his  Word,  that  has 
not  been  helped  by  Mr.  Spurgeon's  example,  faithfulness,  and 
courage.     In  my  judgment,  he  is  the  best  preacher,  in  the  best 


14  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 

sense  of  the  word,  this  century  has  produced ;  and  he  is  so  far 
above  the  sensational  preachers  of  our  own  land,  who  have  at- 
tained notoriety  as  much  by  their  unfaithfulness  to  Christ  as  by 
their  genius,  that  they  are  not  worthy  to  untie  his  shoe-latchet. 
They  have  their  reward  now  in  the  admiration  of  the  crowd,  pleased 
with  that  which  exalts  human  nature  and  dishonors  the  Bible ;  but 
at  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  which  is  fast  hastening  on,  many  of 
them  at  least  will  be  wandering  stars,  to  whom  the  mist  of  dark- 
ness is  reserved,  while  Spurgeon  will  shine  in  the  glory  of  the 
Master's  approval  and  near  his  glorious  Person  for  ever  and  ever. 

No  apology  is  needed  for  bringing  before  our  American  public, 
in  the  present  form,  the  life  and  labors  of  this  well-known,  beloved, 
and  faithful  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  Mr.  Spurgeon  has  universal 
fame  without  seeking  it.  Free  from  selfishness  and  ambition,  and 
without  aiming  at  popularity,  he  has  enshrined  himself  in  the 
hearts  of  thousands,  and  commanded  the  homage  and  respect  of 
millions.  Like  the  late  honored  Garfield,  President  of  the  United 
States,  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  a  manly  man ;  childlike  but  not  childish, 
great  but  not  grand,  he  has  taken  rank  as  a  prominent  leader 
and  teacher  without  officiousness  or  presumption  on  his  part. 
His  name  and  labors  are  closely  interwoven  with  the  religious 
history  of  England  in  the  present  century;  and  any  who  would 
acquaint  themselves  with  the  philanthropists  of  the  age  will  seek 
acquaintance  with  this  esteemed  pastor.  The  man  who  has 
preached  for  twenty-eight  years  to  a  congregation  of  more  than 
six  thousand  persons ;  the  man  who  is  pastor  of  a  church  now 
numbering  over  five  thousand  in  its  membership,  having  grown 
from  comparatively  few;  the  man  who  has  given  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship  during  his  pastorate  to  nearl}-  ten  thousand  persons 
in  all ;  the  man  whose  sermons  have  been  published  weekly  for 
twenty-seven  years,  and  besides  their  immense  sale  in  England 
have  been  translated  into  many  foreign  languages ;  the  man  who 
has  founded  and  presides  over  a  College  which  is  unique  in  itself, 
preparing  one  hundred  students  for  the  ministry  of  the  Word ; 
the  man  who  is  the  originator  and  director  of  an  Orphanage  giving 
a  home  to  five  hundred  needy  children ;   the  man  who  generously 


INrRODUCTORY.  1 5 

devoted  the  testimonial  given  to  him  on  the  twenty-fifth  anniver- 
sary of  his  marriage,  of  over  thirty  thousand  dollars,  to  provide 
an  Asylum  for  a  score  of  poor  widows ;  the  man  who  is  the  author 
of  over  forty  different  volumes,  including  sermons,  commentaries, 
lectures,  and  essays,  the  sale  of  one  book  alone,  "  John  Ploufjh- 
man's  Talk,"  having  reached  the  number  of  three  hundred  thou- 
sand copies,  besides  being  republished  in  America  and  translated 
into  many  European  languages;  the  man  who  for  seventeen  years 
has  edited  "  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel,"  a  monthly  magazine, 
and  who  has  started  and  still  watches  over  various  other  works  too 
numerous  to  mention,  —  is  surely  worthy  of  our  study  as  well  as 
of  our  veneration.  Dr.  Chalmers  once  wrote:  "Everyman  is  a 
missionary,  now  and  forever,  for  good  or  for  evil,  whether  he 
intends  or  designs  it  or  not.  He  may  be  a  blot,  radiating  his  dark 
influence  outward  to  the  very  circumference  of  society,  or  he  may 
be  a  blessing,  spreading  benediction  over  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  world ;  but  a  blank  he  cannot  be.  There  are  no  moral 
blanks,  there  are  no  neutral  characters.  We  are  either  the  sower 
that  sows  and  corrupts,  or  the  light  that  splendidly  illuminates,  or 
the  salt  that  silently  operates ;  but,  being  dead  or  alive,  every  man 
speaks." 

When  reading  the  above,  Mr.  Spurgeon  instantly  came  to  mind 
as  fulfilling  Dr.  Chalmers's  ideal  for  good.  He  is  a  missionary  in 
the  truest  and  noblest  sense;  a  blessing  spreading  benediction 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  ;  a  light  that  splendidly 
illuminates,  warning  against  the  rocks  and  reefs  of  heresy,  and 
directing  the  tempest-tossed  soul  into  the  haven  of  rest;  the  salt 
which  operates,  preserving  from  decay  the  church  under  his  special 
care,  with  the  tens  of  thousands  to  whom  he  ministers  through  his 
printed  sermons,  whose  faces  he  has  never  seen.  He  is  indeed 
a  living  man,  enabled  through  grace  to  reanimate  everything  he 
touches ;  and  as  a  living  man  he  speaks  out  his  full  mind  on 
every  subject  dear  to  him.  Jealous  for  the  divine  message,  he 
cares  only  for  the  truth.  Without  plausibility,  without  policy, 
without  compromise,  he  ever  seeks  to  expound  the  truth,  the 
whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth.  From  his  office  as  am- 
bassador he  has  never  been  known  to  turn  away,  neither  assuming 


l6  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURGEOx\. 

the  rdle  of  ecclesiastic,  nor  degrading  the  ministry  as  a  charlatan. 
Such  a  man,  we  repeat,  is  worthy  of  our  study.  The  curious,  the 
sedate,  the  inquirer,  and  the  philosopher  present  their  several 
queries.  What  is  Mr.  Spurgeon's  history?  what  are  his  antece- 
dents? what  is  the  secret  of  his  unwaning  popularity — what  the 
source  of  his  increasing  power?  These  are  questions  which  we 
trust  the  reader  will  find  fully  answered  in  these  pages.  That  Mr. 
Spurgeon's  ministry  has  been  appreciated  by  leaders  in  every 
department  of  theology  is  well  known,  whilst  "  babes  and  suck- 
lings "  have  grown  to  maturity  under  his  fostering  care. 

Our  beloved  friend  and  brother,  Bishop  Nicholson,  of  Philadel- 
phia, writing  to  us  recently,  remarked :  "  With  regard  to  Mr. 
Spurgeon  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  I  look  upon  him  with  the 
greatest  admiration.  The  doctrines  of  Christ  I  think  have  never 
been  more  fully  and  faithfully  taught.  He  is  a  bold  utterer  of 
God's  will  in  the  midst  of  abounding  latitudinarianism,  and  yet 
he  has  seemed  to  me  to  be  full  of  the  sweetness  and  wisdom  of 
Christ.  His  capacity  for  work  is  something  marvellous.  I  look 
at  what  he  has  done,  and  I  am  simply  amazed  and  confounded. 
He  has  been  Christendom's  foremost  worker  for  Christ." 

Many  ministers  in  our  own  and  other  lands  have  been  refreshed 
and  stimulated  through  Mr.  Spurgeon's  example  and  preaching. 
The  following  testimony  from  a  well-known  pastor  is  only  one  of 
many  which  have  reached  us  from  time  to  time :  — 

"  Though  years  have  gone  by  since  I  listened  to  his  graphic 
presentation  of  gospel  truths,  the  whole  scene,  as  well  as  the  sub- 
jects discussed  and  much  of  the  precise  language  used,  is  fresh 
and  vivid  in  my  memory  at  this  very  moment,  and  the  influence  of 
these  services  has  remained  with  me  like  the  perfume  of  precious 
ointment.  His  evident  honesty,  his  robust  Saxon  speech,  and  his 
charming  simplicity  impressed  me  as  the  prime  elements  of  his 
success  as  a  winner  of  souls.  I  resolved  while  listening  to  him 
that,  God  being  my  helper,  I  would  make  my  preaching  so  plain 
that  no  man,  possessing  ordinary  intelligence,  could  fail  to  appre- 
hend my  meaning.  I  cannot  claim  to  have  followed  the  copy 
perfectly,  for  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  unapproachable;  but  I  have  endeav- 
ored to  follow  after  to  the  best  of  my  ability." 


INTRODUCTORY.  1 7 

Mr.  Spurgeon,  being  a  many-sided  man,  does  not  impress  all 
who  hear  him  in  the  same  way.  Some  are  benefited  in  one  direc- 
tion, some  in  another.  His  joyousness,  as  a  ray  of  light,  enters 
the  gloomy  hearts  of  not  a  few ;  his  constant  faith  lifts  up  many 
discouraged  ones ;  his  sincerity  and  honesty,  his  ingenuousness 
and  piety,  and  the  combination  of  all  these  qualities  affect  differ- 
ent persons  in  different  ways.  We  have  met  with  those  who  have 
been  most  benefited  by  Mr.  Spurgeon's  interpretation  and  exposi- 
tion of  Scripture.  Pastors  who  for  years  entertained  their  people 
with  essays  on  moral  themes,  and  sometimes  on  frivolous  subjects, 
have  come  away  from  hearing  Mr.  Spurgeon  with  a  profound 
determination  that  their  preaching  henceforth  should  be  based  on 
the  opening  and  expounding  of  Scripture.  An  esteemed  minister 
testified  recently:  — 

"  I  regard  Mr.  Spurgeon  as  a  wonderful  expositor  of  the  Word, 
—  sound,  spiritual,  inspiring.  I  am  not  a  great  reader  of  sermons, 
but  I  never  read  one  of  his  discourses  without  a  sense  of  solid 
satisfaction.  It  is  a  cause  of  devout  thanksgiving  that  in  these 
days,  when  the  trumpet  so  often  gives  an  uncertain  sound,  a  false 
or  quavering  note  has  never  been  heard  from  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
watch-tower." 

In  presenting  to  the  public  Mr.  Spurgeon's  personal  history  and 
labors,  we  have  undertaken  a  work  which  has  been  upon  our  heart 
for  many  years.  We  are  well  persuaded  that  numberless  carica- 
tures and  garbled  histories  have  misled  many  persons,  and  preju- 
diced them  against  his  teaching.  We  hope  in  some  measure  to 
correct  this  mischief,  not  for  his  sake,  but  theirs,  who  are  the  losers. 
Some  American  writers  have  done  injustice  to  this  noble  man  by 
representing  him  in  a  false  light.  Hobbyists  on  teetotalism  and 
anti-tobacconists  have  made  him  the  butt  of  their  ridicule,  and 
denounced  him  as  an  example  of  intemperance  and  fleshly  indul- 
gence. But  no  right-minded  man  who  has  ever  heard  or  read 
Mr.  Spurgeon  would  for  a  moment  believe  these  slanderous  re- 
ports. Yet  there  arc  thousands  of  persons  who  have  been  antag- 
onized against  this  Defender  of  the  Faith,  having  heard  of  him 
only  through  raving  platform  orators,  flippant  story-tellers,  or 
vicious  writers. 


l8  LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

The  motives  which  impel  us  in  the  prosecution  of  this  work  are 
various. 

The  author  is  well  persuaded  that  Mr.  Spurgeon's  example  will 
be  an  incentive  to  Christian  workers,  quickening  their  faith,  in- 
flaming their  zeal,  and  encouraging  their  hearts  in  labor  for  the 
Lord.  Many  faint-hearted  preachers  have  listened  to  his  thrilling 
words  with  encouragement;  despondency  and  unbelief  have  given 
place  to  hopefulness  and  faith.  'As  we  trace  the  history  and 
development  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  from  childhood,  and  observe 
how  God  makes  choice  of  vessels  sanctified  and  meet  for  His 
use,  though  we  may  not  possess  the  rare  talents  of  this  min- 
ister of  Christ,  we  may  emulate  his  example  in  diligence,  in 
faithfulness,  and  in  loyalty  to  the  gospel  of  our  Lord.  Many 
Christian  workers  would  have  given  way  to  despair  had  not  a 
timely  word  or  a  persevering  example  stimulated  them  to  fresh 
hope.  We  trust,  therefore,  that  in  this  direction  our  book  will  be 
eminently  successful,  and  that  weary  toilers  for  God,  missionaries, 
pastors,  evangelists,  students,  and  all  who  in  the  battle  have  had 
more  than  ordinary  trials,  will  thank  God  for  what  He  can  do,  and 
take  courage. 

We  have  also  strong  assurance  that  the  bold,  clear,  faithful 
teaching  of  the  great  preacher  will  in  some  measure  counteract 
the  ill-balanced,  weakly,  and  sentimental  theories  afloat,  as  well  as 
deliver  from  unscriptural,  hurtful,  and  sceptical  preaching,  —  now, 
alas!  so  general,  —  many  disciples  of  Jesus.  When  men  depart 
from  the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  with  carnal  minds 
seek  to  analyze  the  Divine  Word,  compelling  it  to  fit  into  the  mould 
of  their  perverted  thought,  they  become  impatient  to  regale  their 
flocks  with  their  negative  knowledge.  Such  men,  seeking  fame, 
discover  that  fellow-fools  are  found  who  will  applaud  them  for 
their  folly.  Some  preachers  have  acquired  notoriety  in  this  direc- 
tion, whose  scholarship  and  independent  thinking  is  accepted  as 
undisputed  fact.  But  when  their  foolish  philosophizing  is  blown 
aside,  and  their  castles  in  the  clouds  melt  away  before  the  sunlight 
of  God's  Word,  what  about  their  bewildered  hearers?  And  herein 
is  one  source  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  strength:  he  never  trifles  with 
the  "  book   of  books."     He   is   a  devout  student  and   an  humble 


IN  TKOnUCTORV.  I9 

reader  of  the  Bible.  He  accepts  its  facts,  its  doctrines,  its  history, 
its  revelation,  without  question.  And  with  all  the  vigor  of  mind 
which  he  possesses  and  the  eloquence  which  he  commands,  he 
declares  his  own  deep  conviction  of  its  divine  origin,  and  thereby, 
through  him,  many  have  been  delivered  from  the  snare  of  scepti- 
cism into  which  they  had  fallen.  Therefore  we  do  belie^'c  that 
the  extracts  from  his  writings  furnished  in  these  pages  v  jl  help 
thoughtful  unbelievers  out  of  the  quagmires  of  every  false  philos- 
ophy, and  lead  them  to  the  Rock  of  Truth,  the  Everlasting  Word, 
God  manifest  in  the  flesh. 

In  addition,  we  have  in  our  mind  the  thousands  of  families 
throughout  the  country  who  are  isolated  from  churches,  or  \\ho 
may  be  surrounded  by  heretical  teachers,  and  prefer  to  spend  the 
Lord's  day  at  home,  than  allow  themselves  or  their  children  to 
receive  spiritual  damage  through  corrupt  doctrine.  To  supply 
interesting,  moral,  and  healthful  reading  to  such  persons  is  a  work 
^vorthy  of  our  best  efforts.  The  story  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  life,  the 
peculiarities  of  his  ministry,  the  history  of  his  Orphanage  and  Col- 
lege, besides  the  reports  given  of  the  various  features  of  his  labors, 
cannot  fail  to  command  interest.  We  therefore  believe  that  herein 
are  furnished  both  pleasure  and  profit  for  our  readers.  In  the  rural 
districts,  where  books  are  few  and  libraries  not  easily  obtained,  to 
supply  a  book  which  would  be  a  library  in  itself,  is  a  hope  which 
we  trust  will  be  fully  realized. 

Besides,  there  are  merchants  and  business  men  who  need  a  book 
which  will  not  fail  to  beguile  the  tedious  hours  of  rela.xation, —  a 
book  which  must  not  be  dull  or  mischievous  in  its  tendencies. 
And  who  has  found  Mr.  Spurgcon  dull?  There  are  chapters  from 
his  pen  which  out-rival  for  pure  wit  and  homely  wisdom  any  work 
extant.  Never  vulgar,  sensational,  or  trifling,  the  humor  of  Mr. 
Spurgeon  brings  diversion  and  help  and  hope  with  it.  The  great 
object  of  his  life  is  manifest  in  all  his  writings,  —  namely,  the  ele- 
vation and  salvation  of  his  race.  His  "John  Ploughman's  Talk" 
and  "John  Ploughman's  Pictures"  are  full  of  sound  advice,  keen 
satire,  kindly  suggestion,  and  friendly  warnings.  No  weary  man 
can  spend  an  hour  reading  these  pithy  sayings  without  feeling 
rested  and  benefited.     But  the  mirthfulncss  within  these  pages  is 


20  LIFE    AND    LABORS    OF    C.    H.    Sl'URGEOX. 

not  the  mental  food  provided,  any  more  than  the  spices  on  our 
table  constitute  the  edibles.  There  will  be  met  pages  of  solid 
reading,  which  the  condiments  will  prepare  the  reader  to  enjoy  and 
digest,  the  meal  being  a  source  of  pleasure  as  \\-cll  as  a  supply  for 
present  demand. 

The  book  is  prepared  as  a  "  labor  of  love,"  —  love  for  the  man 
who  so  nobly  gives  his  life  to  the  gospel  ministry;  love  for  the 
truth  which  he  so  unswervingly  advocates ;  love  for  the  Master 
whose  religion  he  preaches ;  love  for  those  who  read  these  lines, 
which  prompts  the  prayer  that  it  may  be  sanctified  to  their 
highest  good,  and  that  Mr.  Spurgeon's  words  through  this  me- 
dium may  result  in  the  conversion  of  many  souls,  leading  them 
from  darkness  to  light  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God. 


n 

ANCESTRY,    PARENTAGE.    BIRTH. 


A  LITTLE  lone  plant  in  the  forest  h£.d  prepared  a  tiny  flower,  which  as  yet 
was  not  opened  ;  yet  the  plant  had  no  anxieties,  but  waited  its  time.  Could  it 
hope  that  the  great  sun  would  think  of  it,  and  send  his  genial  rays  to  bring  its 
offspring  to  perfection  ?  Yes,  among  the  thick  boughs  the  sunlight  found  its 
way,  and  the  little  flower  unfolded  itself,  and  shone  hke  a  monarch's  crown.  — 
C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


ANCESTRY,    PARENTAGE,   BIRTH. 


MR.  STEVENSON,  a  worthy  English  minister  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Church,  has  written  an  exceedingly  interesting  history 
of  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  his  forty-third  birthday.  His  description  of 
the  great  preacher  and  his  collation  of  facts  we  copy  almost 
entire.  Others  have  written  on  the  same  theme,  but  we  prefer  to 
furnish  our  readers  with  Mr.  Stevenson's  condensed  statements 
and  concise  narrative.  We  have  supplied  some  missing  links,  and 
reduced  the  money  accounts  from  pounds  sterling  to  dollars. 
Those  who  have  written  adversely  or  spoken  flippantly  of  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  know  not  the  man ;  to  us  who  have  the  pleasure  of  a 
personal  acquaintance  with  him,  it  seems  strange,  that  one  who 
has  given  his  life  to  benefit  others,  should  be  regarded  otherwise 
than  with  feelings  of  gratitude  and  affection.  But  he  has  been 
graciously  shielded,  and  for  more  than  eight  and  thirty  years  the 
arrows  of  evil  have  fallen  harmless  at  his  feet.  May  the  Lord 
of  glory  preserve  to  His  Church  for  many  years  to  come  His 
honored  servant ! 

Charles  Haddon  Spurgeon  descends  from  the  Essex  branch 
of  the  same  family.  Early  in  his  ministry  in  London,  he  was 
introduced,  at  a  book-store  in  Paternoster  Row,  to  Mr.  John  Spur- 
geon, a  descendant  of  the  Norwich  branch  of  the  family;  and  on 
comparing  notes  of  their  respective  ancestors,  piety,  uprightness, 
and  loyalty  were  found  alike  in  both.  The  same  spirit  of  religious 
intolerance  which  sent  the  immortal  Bunyan  to  Bedford  Jail  for 
preaching  the  gospel,  also  sent,  in  1677,  Job  Spurgeon  to  Chelms- 


24  LIFE    AND    LABORS    OK   C    U.    SI'UROEON. 

ford  Jail,  where,  for  conscience'  sake,  he  lay  on  a  pallet  of  straw 
for  fifteen  weeks,  in  extremely  severe  winter  weather,  without  any 
fire. 

The  great-grandfather  of  Pastor  Spurgeon  was  contemporary 
with  the  opening  period  of  the  reign  of  King  George  III.  The 
record  preserv^ed  of  his  memory  is,  that  he  was  a  pious  man,  and 
ordered  his  household  according  to  the  will  of  God.  From  that 
day  to  this,  the  family  has  never  wanted  a  man  to  stand  before 
God  in  the  service  of  the  sanctuary. 

James,  the  grandfather  of  Pastor  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  was  born  at 
Halstead,  in  Essex,  September  29,  1776.  As  a  boy  he  was  seri- 
ously inclined,  and  whilst  yet  a  youth  became  a  member  of  the 
Independent  church  at  Halstead.  Whilst  an  apprentice  at  Cogge- 
shall,  he  was  accepted  as  a  member  of  the  church  there  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  S.  Fielding.  Following  business  pursuits 
till  he  was  twenty-six  years  of  age,  his  mind  at  that  period  was 
directed  entirely  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  in  1802  he 
entered  Hoxton  Academy.  After  two  years'  study,  an  application 
from  Clare,  in  Suffolk,  was  made  to  him  to  try  and  raise  a  con- 
gregation which  was  very  low ;  and  in  this  he  succeeded  so  far, 
that  in  September,  1806,  he  was  appointed  pastor,  and  the  church 
prospered  under  his  pastorate.  The  protracted  ministry  of  Mr. 
Beddow  in  the  Independent  church  at  Stambourne,  in  Essex  (a 
church  which  had  only  four  ministers  during  the  course  of  two 
hundred  years),  having  terminated  in  18 10,  Mr.  Spurgeon  received 
a  unanimous  call  to  the  oversight  of  that  church,  which  he  ac- 
cepted, and  in  May,  1811,  he  w^as  recognized  as  their  pastor. 
Himself  the  fourth  of  a  succession  of  long-lived  pastors  in  that 
village,  he  remained  pastor  over  the  church  more  than  half  a 
century,  during  which  period  he  was  peaceful,  happy,  and  suc- 
cessful in  his  labors.  He  frequently  remarked,  when  more  than 
fourscore  years  old,  "  I  have  not  had  one  hour's  unhappiness  with 
my  church  since  I  have  been  over  it."  Invitations  from  other 
churches  were  sent  to  him,  but  the  love,  harmony,  and  prosperity 
which  prevailed  between  pastor  and  people  induced  him  to  decline 
them  all,  and  he  remained  true  to  the  people  of  his  choice. 

It  is  a  recorded  fact,  worthy  of  perpetuation,  that  the  venerable 


ANCESTRY.    I'ARENTACE,    HI  Kill.  25 

James  Spurgeon  never  preached  in  any  place  away  from  his  own 
church,  but  God  fulfilled  his  promise,  and  gave  him  to  hear  of 
some  good  being  done  to  persons  in  tlie  congregation,  lie  had  a 
large  head,  and  much  that  was  good  in  it.  He  had  a  good  voice, 
and  was  very  earnest  and  practical  in  preaching  the  glorious  truths 
of  the  gospel.  The  great  usefulness  of  his  life-long  ministry  w  ill 
be  known  only  in  eternitx'.  lie  was  known  widely  in  ICsse.x  as  a 
man  of  the  old  school,  —  staid,  quiet,  and  uniform  in  his  dress 
and  habits.  He  was  the  very  picture  of  neatness,  and  in  many 
particulars  resembled  John  Wesley,  especially  in  his  manners  and 
stature.  He  wore  a  dress  cravat,  a  frilled  shirt,  and  had  a  vest 
Avith  deep  pockets,  as  if  provided  for  large  collections.  He  was 
seldom  without  a  packet  of  sweets,  which  he  gave  generously  to 
the  children  wherever  he  went,  so  that  they  gathered  round  him 
and  attached  themselves  to  him  with  a  firmness  which  riper  years 
did  not  shake.  He  was  ahvays  happy  in  the  company  of  young 
people.  He  wore  the  breeches,  buckled  shoes,  and  silk  stockings 
which  marked  the  reign  of  George  HI.,  and  he  really  looked  to 
be  a  venerable  Nonconformist  minister  of  a  past  age.  I-'or  more 
than  half  a  century  his  h'fe  corresponded  with  his  labors.  His 
gentle  manners,  his  sincere  piety,  and  his  uniformly  of  conduct 
.secured  for  him  the  goodwill  of  his  neighbors,  and  he  was  as 
friendly  with  the  parochial  clergymen  as  with  his  attached  Non- 
conformist friends.  He  often  went  to  the  parish  church  to  hear 
the  sermon  when  the  prayers  were  over,  especially  when  the  cause 
of  missions  was  to  be  advocated.  He  was  blessed  with  a  wife 
whose  piety  and  useful  labors  made  her  a  valuable  helpmeet  to 
her  husband  in  every  good  word  and  work.  In  his  last  illness  he 
was  sustained  by  divine  grace,  and  the  desire  he  had  so  often 
expressed,  that  he  might  speak  of  Christ  on  his  d\'ing  bed,  was 
granted  to  him.  He  said  the  gospel  \\as  his  only  hope ;  he  was 
on  the  Eternal  Rock,  immutable  as  tlie  throne  of  (iod.  Those  who 
were  privileged  to  witness  his  departing  from  earth  will  never  forget 
his  joy  and  peace,  and  the  glorious  prospect  he  had  of  heaven. 

John  Spurgeon,'  the  father  of  Charles,  was  born  at  Stambourne 
in  i8ti.  He  was  the  secniul  ot  len  children,  of  whom  fonr 
brothers  and  three  sisters  are  still  living.       He   is  a   portly  Inokiiig 

^  P.iccii'lv  flcrenscfl. 


26  LIFE    AND    LABORS    OF   C.    II.    SPURCiEON. 

man,  a  good  specimen  of  a  country  gentleman,  and  is  nearly  six 
feet  in  height.  For  many  years  he  was  engaged  in  business  at 
Colchester;  but,  with  so  excellent  an  example  of  a  minister  as 
was  his  father,  it  is  not  strange  that  his  mind  should  have  run  in 
the  same  direction,  though  he  did  not  fully  enter  on  the  ministry  till 
he  had  reached  the  prime  of  life.  For  sixteen  years  he  preached 
on  Sundays  to  a  small  Independent  church  at  Tollesbury,  being 
occupied  with  business  during  the  week.  He  next  accepted  a  call 
to  the  pastorate  of  the  Independent  church  at  Cranbrook,  Kent,  a 
village  of  three  thousand  persons,  where  he  remained  five  years. 

The  popularity  of  his  son  Charles  in  London  was  not  without 
its  influence  on  the  father,  whose  personal  worth  and  whose  minis- 
terial ability  were  not  unknown,  in  the  metropolis,  as  he  had 
spoken  occasionally  at  meetings  held  by  his  son.  The  pastorate 
of  the  Independent  church  in  Fetter  Lane,  Holborn,  became 
vacant,  and  was  offered  to  and  accepted  by  Mr.  Spurgeon ;  but 
his  stay  there  was  not  long.  A  sphere  more  in  accordance  with 
his  years  and  position  was  offered  and  accepted  by  him,  and  for 
some  time  he  was  pastor  of  the  Independent  church  worshipping 
in  the  Upper  Street,  Islington.  That  position  he  resigned  at  the 
end  of  the  year  1876.  He  did  good  work  in  that  locality,  and  was 
much  beloved  by  the  people.  His  preaching  was  plain,  earnest, 
and  pointed,  and  he  manifested  an  affectionate  solicitude  for  all 
under  his  pastoral  care,  especially  the  young  people.  There  are 
many  large  places  of  worship  in  the  locality,  and  preachers  of 
distinction  are  numerous  in  that  populous  suburb;  but  even  there 
Mr.  Spurgeon  gathered  a  large  and  important  congregation  twice 
on  the  Sabbath,  to  whom  his  preaching  was  both  acceptable  and 
beneficial.  The  various  branches  of  church  work  were  carried  on 
with  energy  and  fidelity;  and  those  which  required  female  agency 
were  fostered  and  watched  over  with  affectionate  solicitude  by 
Mrs.  Spurgeon,  whose  motherly  affection  secured  for  her  a  wel- 
come in  the  families  of  the  church. 

Mrs.  John  Spurgeon  was  the  youngest  sister  of  Charles  Parker 
Jervis,  Esq.,  of  Colchester,  in  which  town  her  husband  carried  on 
business  for  many  years.  Wherever  she  has  resided  she  has  been 
known   and   esteemed   for  her  sincere  piety    her  great  usefulness 


ANCESTRY,    PARENTAGE,   BIRTH.  2/ 

and  humility.  She  is  low  in  stature,  and  in  this  respect  her  son 
Charles  takes  after  her,  but  not  in  features,  in  which  particular  the 
other  son,  James  Archer  Spurgeon,  assimilates  more  to  his  mother. 
ICven  to  a  stranger  visiting  Mr.  John  Spurgeon's  congregation,  it 
would  not  be  difficult  to  distinguish  the  pastor's  wife.  She  has  a 
kind  word  and  a  smile  for  all  who  come  in  contact  with  her,  but  is 
perhaps  the  least  assuming  lady  in  the  whole  assembly  of  worship- 
pers. The  prayerful  solicitude  with  which  she  trained  her  children 
has  been  rewarded  by  each  one  of  them  making  a  public  profes- 
sion of  their  faith  in  Christ.  Two  of  her  sons  occupy  foremost 
places  in  the  metropolis  as  preachers  of  the  gospel ;  and  one  of 
her  daughters,  the  wife  of  a  minister,  not  only  assists  her  husband 
in  the  preparation  of  his  sermons,  but  occasionally  delivers  ad- 
dresses to  small  audiences.  Speaking  one  day  to  her  son  Charles 
of  her  solicitude  for  the  best  interests  of  all  her  children,  Mrs. 
Spurgeon  said,  "  Ah,  Charley,  I  have  often  prayed  that  you  might 
be  saved,  but  never  that  you  should  become  a  Baptist."  To  this 
Charles  replied,  "  God  has  answered  your  prayer,  mother,  with  His 
usual  bounty,  and  given  you  more  than  you  asked."  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Spurgeon  made  great  sacrifices  of  personal  comfort  to 
give  a  good  education  to  their  children,  and  the  children  were 
taught  habits  of  thrift  and  self-denial.  The  care  thus  bestowed 
on  their  training  when  young  has  been  to  the  parents  a  source 
of  much  satisfaction ;  the  good  results  of  that  care  are  manifested 
in  the  happy  home  lives  of  their  children.  When,  at  some  future 
period,  the  historian  of  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  and  of  the 
Stockwell  Orphanage  is  considering  the  primary  causes  of  those 
great  enterprises,  the  care  which  Mrs.  Spurgeon  bestowed  on  the 
early  training  of  her  family  must  be  counted  as  a  valuable  au.x- 
il/ary  in  preparing  the  way  for  such  exemplary  conduct. 

The  villages  of  England,  more  than  the  towns,  have  the  honor 
of  producing  our  great  men.  In  the  village  the  faculties  develop 
themselves  as  nature  forms  them,  while  in  the  large  towns  a  thou- 
sand delusive  influences  are  continually  diverting  the  minds  of  the 
young  into  channels  of  danger  and  error.  The  parents  of  Pastor 
Spurgeon  were  residing  at  the  village  of  Kelvedon,  in  Essex, 
vvhen,  on  June  19,  1834,  their  son  Charles  was  born.     The  popu- 


28  LIl'E    AXI)    l.Al!()R.S    C>L     C.    II.    STURGEoX. 

lation  of  the  place  is  only  two  thousand  souls,  and  the  resident 
clergyman,  at  the  time  just  stated,  the  Rev.  Charles  Dalton,  lived 
long  enough  to  celebrate  his  jubilee  as  minister  in  that  parish. 
The  Spurgeon  family  belonged  to  the  Nonconformists,  under 
whose  teaching  they  were  all  brought  up.  Charles  and  James 
Spurgeon  were  much  separated  during  their  early  years.  Charles 
was  of  a  larger  and  broader  build  than  James,  and  the  boys  in  the 
village  are  said  to  have  given  them  names  designative  of  character, 
which  also  indicated  friendship  or  attachment.  Charles  had  as  a 
boy  a  larger  head  than  his  brotlier,  and  he  is  represented  as  taking 
in  learning  more  readily  than  James,  whilst  the  latter  excelled 
more  in  domestic  duties.  Besides  the  brothers,  there  are  six 
sisters  living,  two  of  whom  are  said  to  resemble  Charles  in  men- 
tal energy. 

As  the  children  w^cre  growing  up,  the  father,  like  many  profes- 
sional and  public  men,  feared  his  frequent  absence  from  home 
would  interfere  with  the  religious  education  of  the  little  ones. 
But  happily  for  him  he  had  a  true  helpmeet  to  co-operate  with 
him  in  this  important  work,  and  happily  for  those  children  they 
had  a  noble  mother  who  lived  for  them,  and  sought  to  build  them 
up  in  true  Christian  character.  Nor  has  she  lived  unrewarded  for 
her  pains.  Oh,  that  all  mothers  learned  the  lesson  well !  Hear 
the  good  man  speak  thus  of  his  wife :  — 

I  had  been  from  home  a  great  deal,  trying  to  build  up  weak 
congregations,  and  felt  that  I  was  neglecting  the  religious  training 
of  my  own  children  while  I  was  toiling  for  the  good  of  others. 
I  returned  home  with  these  feelings.  I  opened  the  door,  and  was 
surprised  to  find  none  of  the  children  about  the  hall.  Going 
quietly  upstairs,  I  heard  my  wife's  voice.  She  was  engaged  in 
prayer  with  the  children ;  I  heard  her  pray  for  them  one  by  one 
by  name.  She  came  to  Charles,  and  specially  prayed  for  him,  for 
he  was  of  high  spirit  and  daring  temper.  I  listened  till  she  had 
ended  her  prayer,  and  I  felt  and  said,  "  Lord,  I  will  go  on  with 
Thy  work.     The  children  will  be  cared  for." 

When  just  old  enough  to  leave  home,  Charles  was  removed  to 
his  grandfather's  house  at  Stambourne,  where,  under  the  affection 


ANCESTRY,    PARENTAGE,    BIRTH.  29 

ate  care  of  a  maiden  aunt,  and  directed  by  the  venerable  pastor, 
he  soon  developed  into  the  thoughtful  bo}',  fonder  of  his  book 
than  of  his  play.  He  would  sit  for  hours  together  gazing  with 
childish  horror  at  the  grim  figures  of  "  Old  Bonner"  and  "  Giant 
Despair  "  ;  or  tracing  the  adventures  of  Christian  in  the  "  Pil- 
grim's Progress,"  or  of  "  Robinson  Crusoe."  The  pious  precocity 
of  the  child  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  all  around.  He  would 
astonish  the  grave  deacons  and  matrons  who  met  at  his  grand- 
father's house  on  Sabbath  evenings,  by  proposing  subjects  for 
conversation,  and  making  pertinent  remarks  upon  them.  At  that 
early  period  in  life  he  gave  indications  of  that  decision  of  char- 
acter and  boldness  of  address  for  which  he  has  since  become  so 
remarkable. 

In  the  spring  of  1840,  and  before  he  was  six  years  old,  seeing 
a  person  in  the  village  who  made  a  profession  of  religion  stand- 
ing in  the  street  with  others  known  to  be  of  doubtful  character, 
he  made  up  to  the  big  man,  and  astonished  him  by  asking,  "What 
doest  thou  here,  Elijah?" 

In  1 841  he  returned  to  his  father's  house,  which  was  then  at 
Colchester,  that  he  might  secure  what  improved  advantages  in 
education  a  town  could  supply.  His  mental  development  was 
even  then  considerably  in  advance  of  his  years ;  and  his  moral 
character,  especially  his  love  of  truth,  was  very  conspicuous. 

Spending  the  summer  vacation  at  his  grandfather's,  in  1844, 
when  he  was  just  ten  years  old,  an  incident  occurred  which  had 
a  material  influence  on  the  boy  at  the  time,  and  even  more  so  as 
Divine  Providence  opened  his  way.  Mr.  Spurgeon's  grandfather 
first  related  the  incident  to  the  writer,  but  it  has  since  been  written 
by  Mr,  Spurgeon  himself,  with  the  title  of  "  The  Rev.  Richard 
Knill's  Prophecy."     The  account  is  as  follows. 

"When  I  was  a  very  small  boy,"  writes  Charles  H.  Spurgeon, 
"  I  was  staying  at  my  grandfather's,  where  I  had  aforetime  spent 
my  earliest  days ;  and,  as  the  manner  was,  I  read  the  Scriptures 
at  family  prayer.  Once  upon  a  time,  when  reading  the  passage 
in  the  Book  of  Revelation  which  mentions  the  bottomless  pit,  I 
paused  and  said,  'Grandpa,  what  can  this  mean?'  The  answer 
was  kind  but  unsatisfactory:    'Pooh,   pooh,   child,  go   on.'     The 


30  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF    C.    IL    SPURGEON. 

child  intended,  however,  to  have  an  explanation,  and  therefore 
selected  the  same  chapter  morning  after  morning,  Sunday  in- 
cluded, and  always  halted  at  the  same  verse  to  repeat  the  inquiry. 
At  length  the  venerable  patriarch  capitulated  at  discretion,  by 
saying,  '  Well,  dear,  what  is  it  that  puzzles  you  ?  '  Now,  the  child 
had  often  seen  baskets  with  very  frail  bottoms,  which  in  course  of 
wear  became  bottomless,  and  allowed  the  fruit  placed  therein  to 
fall  upon  the  ground.  Here,  then,  was  the  puzzle :  If  the  pit 
aforesaid  had  no  bottom,  where  would  all  the  people  fall  who 
dropped  out  at  its  lower  end?  —  a  puzzle  which  rather  startled  the 
propriety  of  family  worship,  and  had  to  be  laid  aside  for  expla- 
nation at  a  more  convenient  season.  Questions  of  the  like  simple 
and  natural  character  would  frequently  break  up  into  paragraphs 
at  the  family  Bible-reading,  and  had  there  not  been  a  world  of 
love  and  license  allowed  to  the  inquisitive  reader,  he  would  soon 
have  been  deposed  from  his  office.  As  it  was,  the  Scriptures  were 
not  very  badly  rendered,  and  were  probably  quite  as  interesting 
as  if  they  had  not  been  interspersed  with  original  and  curious 
inquiries." 

On  one  of  these  occasions,  Mr.  Knill,  whose  name  is  a  house- 
hold word,  whose  memory  is  precious  to  thousands  at  home  and 
abroad,  stayed  at  the  minister's  house  on  Friday,  in  readiness  to 
preach  at  Stambourne  for  the  London  Missionary  Society  on  the 
following  Sunday.  He  never  looked  into  a  young  face  without 
yearning  to  impart  some  spiritual  gift.  He  was  all  love,  kindness, 
earnestness,  and  warmth,  and  coveted  the  souls  of  men  as  misers 
desire  the  gold  their  hearts  pine  for.  He  heard  the  boy  read,  and 
commended  :  a  little  judicious  praise  is  the  sure  way  to  a  young 
heart.  An  agreement  was  made  with  the  lad  that  on  the  next 
morning,  Saturday,  he  would  show  Mr.  Knill  over  the  garden,  and 
take  him  for  a  walk  before  breakfast:  a  task  so  flattering  to  juve- 
nile self-importance  was  sure  to  be  readily  entered  upon.  There 
was  a  tap  at  the  door,  and  the  child  was  soon  out  of  bed  and  in 
the  garden  with  his  new  friend,  who  won  his  heart  in  no  time  by 
pleasing  stories  and  kind  words,  and  giving  him  a  chance  to  com- 
municate in  return.  The  talk  was  all  about  Jesus,  and  the  pleas- 
antness of  loving  him.     Nor  was  it  mere  talk ;   there  was  pleading 


ANCESTRY,    PARENTAGE,    BIRTH.  31 

too.  Into  the  great  yew  arbor,  cut  into  the  shape  of  a  sugar-loaf, 
both  went,  and  the  soul-winncr  knelt  down  ;  with  his  arms  around 
the  youthful  neck,  he  poured  out  vehement  intercession  for  the 
salvation  of  the  lad.  The  next  morning  witnessed  the  same 
instruction  and  supplication,  and  the  next  also,  while  all  day  long 
the  pair  were  never  far  apart,  and  never  out  of  each  other's 
thoughts.  The  mission  sermons  were  preached  in  the  old  Puritan 
meeting-house,  and  the  man  of  God  was  called  to  go  to  the  next 
halting-place  in  his  tour  as  deputation  for  the  Society.  But  he  did 
not  leave  till  he  had  uttered  a  most  remarkable  prophecy.  After 
even  more  earnest  prayer  with  his  little  protege,  he  appeared  to 
have  a  burden  on  his  mind,  and  he  could  not  go  till  he  had  eased 
himself  of  it.  In  after  years  he  was  heard  to  say  he  felt  a 
singular  interest  in  me,  and  an  earnest  expectation  for  which  he 
could  not  account.  Calling  the  family  together,  he  took  me  on 
his  knee,  and  I  distinctly  remember  his  saying,  '  I  do  not  know 
how  it  is,  but  I  feel  a  solemn  presentiment  that  this  child  w^ill 
preach  the  gospel  to  thousands,  and  God  will  bless  him  to  many 
souls.  So  sure  am  I  of  this,  that  when  my  little  man  preaches  in 
Rowland  Hill's  chapel,  as  he  will  do  one  day,  I  should  like  him 
to  promise  me  that  he  will  give  out  the  hymn  commencing, — 

"  God  moves  in  a  m3'sterious  way 
His  wonders  to  perform."  ' 

This  promise  was  of  course  made,  and  was  followed  by  another, 
—  namely,  that  at  his  express  desire  I  would  learn  the  hymn  in 
question,  and  think  of  what  he  had  said. 

"The  prophetic  declaration  was  fulfilled.  When  I  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  preaching  the  Word  of  Life  in  Surrey  Chapel,  and  also  when 
I  preached  in  Mr.  Hill's  first  pulpit  at  Wootton-under-Edge,  the 
hymn  was  sung  in  both  places.  Did  the  words  of  Mr.  Knill  help 
to  bring  about  their  own  fulfilment?  I  think  so.  I  believed  them, 
and  looked  forward  to  the  time  when  I  should  preach  the  Word. 
I  felt  very  powerfully  that  no  unconverted  person  might  dare  to 
enter  the  ministry.  This  made  me  the  more  intent  on  seeking 
salvation,  and  more  hopeful  of  it ;  and  when  by  grace  I  was  ena- 
bled to  cast  myself  on  the  Saviour's  love,  it  was  not  long  before 


■  32  LIFE    AM)    LABORS    OF    C.    H.    SFURGEON, 

my  mouth  began  to  speak  of  his  redemption.  How  came  that 
sober-minded  minister  to  speak  thus  to  and  of  one  into  whose 
future  God  alone  could  see?  How  came  it  that  he  lived  to  re- 
joice with  his  younger  brother  in  the  truth  of  all  that  he  had 
spoken  ?  The  answer  is  plain.  But  mark  one  particular  lesson  : 
would  to  God  that  we  were  all  as  wise  as  Richard  Knill  in  habitu- 
ally sowing  beside  all  waters.  Mr.  Knill  might  very  naturally 
have  left  the  minister's  little  grandson  on  the  plea  that  he  had 
other  duties  of  more  importance  than  praying  with  children ;  and 
yet  who  shall  say  that  he  did  not  effect  as  much  by  that  simple 
act  of  humble  ministry  as  by  dozens  of  sermons  addressed  to 
crowded  audiences?  To  me  his  tenderness  in  considering  the 
little  one  was  fraught  with  everlasting  consequences,  and  I  must 
ever  feel  that  his  time  was  well  laid  out." 

During  the  fostering  care  of  his  aunt  Ann,  — his  father's  unmar- 
ried sister  at  Stambourne,  —  an  attachment  grew  up  which  was  as 
sincere  in  affectionate  regard  as  that  which  usually  exists  between 
parent  and  child.  This  aunt  had  charge  of  the  infant  Spurgeon 
during  most  of  the  first  six  years  of  his  life.  He  was  the  first 
grandchild  in  the  family.  Care  was  taken  by  his  aunt  to  instruct 
him  gradually  as  the  mind  was  capable  of  receiving  impressions ; 
but  from  his  childhood  his  mind  seems  to  have  been  framed  after 
nature's  model.  The  book  he  admired  at  his  grandfather's,  which 
had  for  one  of  its  illustrations  the  portrait  of  Bonner,  Bishop  of 
London,  was  the  cause  of  his  mind  receiving  its  first  impressions 
against  tyranny  and  persecution ;  and  being  told  of  the  perse- 
cuting character  of  Bonner,  the  child  manifested  a  great  dislike 
to  the  name,  and  called  the  picture  which  represented  the  bishop 
"  Old  Bonner."  Even  at  that  early  period  of  life,  before  he  was 
six  years  old,  he  exhibited  a  marked  attachment  to  those  who 
were  known  as  the  children  of  God. 

Four  years  of  the  boy's  life  were  spent  at  a  school  at  Colchester, 
where  he  studied  Latin,  Greek,  and  French.  He  was  a  diligent 
student,  always  carrying  the  first  prize  in  all  comjietitions.  In 
1849  he  was  placed  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Swindell,  at  Newmarket. 
There  he  learned  to  practise  much  self-denial.  The  privations  he 
voluntarily  submitted   to  at  that  time   sliowcd   how  decided  were 


/UVCESTRV,    PARENTAGE,    BIRTH.  33 

his  purposes  to  acquire  knowlcdi^e,  and  as  far  as  he  knew  to  try 
and  serve  God.  But  the  struggle  which  was  going  on  in  his  mind, 
preparatory  to  his  giving  his  heart  fully  to  God,  can  only  be 
described  in  his  own  touching  words,  as  recorded  in  one  of  his 
sermons.  Speaking  of  a  free-thinker,  he  remarks:  "  I,  too,  have 
been  like  him.  There  was  an  evil  hour  in  which  I  slipped  the 
anchor  of  my  faith:  I  cut  the  cable  of  my  belief:  I  no  longer 
moored  myself  hard  by  the  coast  of  Revelation :  I  allowed  my 
vessel  to  drift  before  the  wind,  and  thus  started  on  the  voyage  of 
infidelity.  I  said  to  Reason,  Be  thou  my  captain ;  I  said  to  my 
own  brain.  Be  thou  my  rudder ;  and  I  started  on  my  mad  voyage. 
Thank  God,  it  is  all  over  now ;  but  I  will  tell  you  its  brief  history : 
it  was  one  hurried  sailing  over  the  tempestuous  ocean  of  free 
thought."  The  result  was,  that  from  doubting  some  things,  he 
came  to  question  everything,  even  his   own  existence. 

But  soon  he  conquered  those  extremes  to  which  Satan  often 
drives  the  sinner  who  is  really  repenting  of  his  sins.  The  reader 
will  be  glad  to  hear  Pastor  Spurgeon's  own  account  of  his  con- 
version. 


34  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPuKUEON. 


PSALM    XV. 

Lord,  I  would  dwell  with  Thee 

On  Thy  most  holy  hill. 
Oh,  shed  Thy  grace  abroad  in  me. 

To  mould  me  to  Thy  will. 

Thy  gate  of  pearl  stands  wide 
For  those  who  walk  upright ; 

But  those  who  basely  turn  aside 
Thou  chasest  from  Thy  sight. 

Oh,  tame  my  tongue  to  peace, 

And  tune  my  heart  to  love  ; 
From  all  reproaches  may  I  cease. 

Made  harmless  as  a  dove. 

The  vile,  though  proudly  great, 

No  flatterer  find  in  me; 
I  count  Thy  saints  of  poor  estate 

Far  nobler  company. 

Faithful,  but  meekly  kind, 

Gentle,  yet  boldly  true, 
I  would  possess  the  perfect  mind 

Which  in  my  Lord  I  view. 

But,  Lord,  these  gmces  all 

Thy  Spirit's  work  must  be  ; 
To  Thee,  through  Jesu's  blood  I  call, — 

Create  them  all  in  me. 


C.  H.  Spurgkom. 


III. 

CONVERSION  AND  PREACHING. 


CoNVERSiox  is  a  change  of  masters.  Will  we  not  do  as  much  for  our  new 
master,  the  Lord  Jesus,  as  we  did  once  for  our  old  tyrant  lusts  ?  We  were  very 
ardent  and  obedient  servants  unto  sin,  yielding  our  members  to  iniquity  unto 
iniquity;  shall  we  not  now  he  equally  earnest  servants  of  righteousness  unto 
lioliness  ?  Great  Lord,  be  Thou  our  helper,  that  as  we  once  served  evil  with  our 
whole  nature,  we  may  so  serve  Thee,  bowing  our  necks  with  delight  to  Thy 
easy  yoke  ! —  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


CONVERSION  AND  PREACHING. 


SOME  persons  suppose  that  deep  conviction  is  the  result  of 
gross  sin,  but  many  sinners  who  had  never  walked  with  the 
ungodly  have  had  such  a  view  of  the  human  heart  in  the  sight  of 
God  as  compelled  them  to  cry  out,  "  Unclean  !  "  Charles  Spurgeon 
as  a  youth  was  chaste,  moral,  and  guarded  in  his  deportment. 
Yet  in  the  narrative  of  his  conversion  we  observe  how  he  endured 
great  bitterness  of  soul  through  conviction  of  sin.  His  heart  hun- 
gered for  the  Lord,  and  was  not  satisfied  till  he  found  Him.  Thus 
he  narrates  his  conversion  :  — 

I  will  tell  you  how  I  myself  was  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
this  truth.  It  may  happen  the  telling  of  that  will  bring  some  one 
else  to  Christ.  It  pleased  God  in  my  childhood  to  convince  me 
of  sin.  I  lived  a  miserable  creature,  finding  no  hope,  no  comfort, 
thinking  that  surely  God  would  never  save  me.  At  last  the  worst 
came  to  the  worst,  —  I  was  miserable ;  I  could  do  scarcely  any- 
thing. My  heart  was  broken  in  pieces.  Six  months  did  I  pray, 
—  prayed  agonizingly  with  all  my  heart,  and  never  had  an  answer. 
I  resolved  that,  in  the  town  where  I  lived,  I  would  visit  every  place 
of  worship  in  order  to  find  out  the  way  of  salvation.  I  felt  I  was 
willing  to  do  anything  and  be  anything  if  God  would  only  forgive 
me.  I  set  off,  determined  to  go  round  to  all  the  chapels,  and  I 
went  to  all  the  places  of  worship ;  and  though  I  dearly  venerate 
the  men  that  occupy  those  pulpits  now,  and  did  so  then,  I  am 
bound  to  say  that  I  never  heard  them  once  fully  preach  the  gos- 
pel.    I   mean   by   that,   they   preached   truth,  great  truths,  many 


38  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF    C.    H.    SI'URGEON. 

good  truths  that  were  fitting  to  many  of  their  congregation,  — 
spiritually-minded  people ;  but  what  I  wanted  to  know  was,  How 
can  I  get  my  sins  forgiven?  And  they  never  once  told  me  that. 
I  wanted  to  hear  how  a  poor  sinner,  under  a  sense  of  sin,  might 
find  peace  with  God ;  and  when  I  went  I  heard  a  sermon  on  "  Be 
not  deceived :  God  is  not  mocked,"  which  cut  me  up  worse,  but 
did  not  say  how  I  might  escape.  I  went  again  another  day,  and 
the  text  was  something  about  the  glories  of  the  righteous :  noth- 
ing for  poor  me.  I  was  something  like  a  dog  under  the  table, 
not  allowed  to  eat  of  the  children's  food.  I  went  time  after  time, 
and  I  can  honestly  say,  I  don't  know  that  I  ever  went  without 
prayer  to  God,  and  I  am  sure  there  was  not  a  more  attentive  hearer 
in  ail  the  place  than  myself,  for  I  panted  and  longed  to  understand 
how  I  might  be  saved. 

At  last,  one  snowy  day,  —  it  snowed  so  much,  I  could  not  go  to 
the  place  I  had  determined  to  go  to,  and  I  was  obliged  to  stop  on 
the  road,  and  it  was  a  blessed  stop  to  me,  —  I  found  rather  an 
obscure  street,  and  turned  down  a  court,  and  there  was  a  little 
chapel.  I  wanted  to  go  somewhere,  but  I  did  not  know  this  place. 
It  was  the  Primitive  Methodists'  chapel.  I  had  heard  of  these 
people  from  many,  and  how  they  sang  so  loudly  that  they  made 
people's  heads  ache ;  but  that  did  not  matter.  I  wanted  to  know 
how  I  might  be  saved,  and  if  they  made  my  head  ache  ever  so 
much  I  did  not  care.  So,  sitting  down,  the  service  went  on,  but 
no  minister  came.  At  last  a  very  thin-looking  man  came  into 
the  pulpit  and  opened  his  Bible  and  read  these  words :  "  Look 
unto  Me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth."  Just  setting 
his  eyes  upon  me,  as  if  he  knew  me  all  by  heart,  he  said :  "  Young 
man,  you  are  in  trouble."  Well,  I  was,  sure  enough.  Says  he, 
"  You  will  never  get  out  of  it  unless  you  look  to  Christ."  And 
then,  lifting  up  his  hands,  he  cried  out,  as  only,  I  think,  a  Primitive 
Methodist  could  do,  "  Look,  look,  look  !  It  is  only  look !  "  said 
he.  I  saw  at  once  the  way  of  salvation.  Oh,  how  I  did  leap  for 
joy  at  that  moment !  I  know  not  what  else  he  said :  I  did  not 
take  much  notice  of  it,  —  I  was  so  possessed  with  that  one  thought. 
Like  as  when  the  brazen  serpent  was  lifted  up,  they  only  looked 
and  were  healed.     I  had  been  waiting  to  do  fifty  things,  but  when 


CONVERSION   AND    PREACHINCi.  39 

I  heard  this  word  "  Look  !  "  what  a  charming  word  it  seemed  to 
me.  Oh,  I  looked  until  I  could  almost  have  looked  my  eyes  away  ! 
and  in  heaven  I  will  look  on  still  in  my  joy  unutterable. 

I   now  think    I    am   bound   never  to   preach  a   sermon  without     / 
preaching  to  sinners.      I  do  think  that  a  minister  who  can  preach 
a    sermon    without    addressing    sinners    does    not    know    how    to 
preach. 

On  Oct.  II,  1864,  the  pastor  of  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle 
preached  a  sermon  to  five  hundred  hearers  in  the  chapel  at  Col- 
chester (in  which  he  was  converted),  on  the  occasion  of  the 
anniversary  in  that  place  of  worship.  He  took  for  his  text  the 
memorable  words,  Isaiah  xlv.  22,  "  Look  unto  Me,  and  be  ye 
saved,"  &c.,  and,  said  the  preacher,  "  That  I  heard  preached  from 
in  this  chapel  when  the  Lord  converted  me."  And  pointing  to  a 
seat  on  the  left  hand,  under  the  gallery,  he  said:  "  I  was  sitting  in 
that  pew  when  I  was  cojtverted!'  This  honest  confession  produced 
a  thrilling  effect  upon  the  congregation,  and  very  much  endeared 
the  successful  pastor  to  many  hearts. 

Of  his  conversion  Mr.  Spurgeon  takes  delight  in  speaking  on 
every  fitting  opportunity,  hoping  thereby  to  benefit  others.  As 
an  example  of  the  advantage  which  he  takes,  under  the  title  of 
"  A  Bit  for  Boys,"  he  says,  in  '*  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel"  :  "When 
I  was  just  fifteen,  I  believed  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  was  baptized,  and 
joined  the  church  of  Christ.  This  is  twenty-five  years  ago  now, 
and  I  have  never  been  sorry  for  what  I  then  did  ;  no,  not  even 
once.  I  have  had  plenty  of  time  to  think  it  over,  and  many  temp- 
tations to  try  some  other  course,  and  if  I  had  found  out  that  I  had 
been  deceived,  or  had  made  a  gross  blunder,  I  would  have  made  a 
change  before  now,  and  would  do  my  best  to  prevent  others  from 
falling  into  the  same  delusion.  I  tell  you,  boys,  the  day  I  gave 
myself  up  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  be  His  servant,  was  the  very  best 
day  of  my  life.  Then  I  began  to  be  safe  and  happy ;  then  I  found 
out  the  secret  of  living  ;  and  had  a  worthy  object  for  my  life's 
exertions,  and  an  unfailing  comfort  for  life's  troubles.  Because 
I  would  wish  every  boy  to  have  a  bright  eye,  a  light  tread,  a 
joyful   heart,   and    overflowing  spirits,  I   plead  with  him   to   con- 


40  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.   H.    SPURGEON. 

sider  whether  he  will  not  follow  my  example,  for  I  speak  from 
experience." 

Early  in  the  month  of  January,  1856,  Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  a 
sermon  to  his  own  congregation  on  Sunday  morning,  which  is 
entitled  "  Sovereignty  and  Salvation,"  and  it  forms  No.  60  in  the 
second  volume  of  his  published  discourses.  In  that  sermon  he 
says :  — 

"  Six  years  ago  to-day,  as  near  as  possible  at  this  very  hour  of 
the  day,  I  was  '  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  in  the  bonds  of  in- 
iquity,' but  had  yet,  by  divine  grace,  been  led  to  feel  the  bitter- 
ness of  that  bondage,  and  to  cry  out  by  reason  of  the  soreness  of 
its  slavery.  Seeking  rest  and  finding  none,  I  stepped  within  the 
house  of  God,  and  sat  there,  afraid  to  look  upward,  lest  I  should 
be  utterly  cut  off,  and  lest  his  fierce  wrath  should  consume 
me.  The  minister  rose  in  his  pulpit,  and,  as  I  have  done  this 
morning,  read  this  text:  'Look  unto  Me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all 
the  ends  of  the  earth ;  for  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else.'  I 
looked  that  moment ;  the  grace  of  faith  was  vouchsafed  to  me  in 
that  instant;   and 

'  Ere  since  by  faith  I  saw  the  stream 
His  flowing  wounds  supply. 
Redeeming  love  has  been  my  theme, 
And  shall  be  till  I  die.' 

I  shall  never  forget  that  day  while  memory  holds  its  place ;  nor  can 
I  help  repeating  this  text  whenever  I  remember  that  hour  when 
first  I  knew  the  Lord.  How  strangely  gracious !  How  wonder- 
fully and  marvellously  kind,  that  he  who  heard  these  words  so 
little  time  ago,  for  his  own  soul's  profit,  should  now  address  you 
this  morning  as  his  hearers  from  the  same  text,  in  the  full  and 
confident  hope  that  some  poor  sinner  within  these  walls  may  hear 
the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  for  himself  also,  and  may  to-day  be 
*  turned  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto 
God  !  '  " 

All  the  letters  he  sent  home  at  that  period  were  full  of  the  over- 
flowings of  a  grateful  heart;  and,  although  so  young  in  years,  he 
describes  the  operations  of  divine  grace  on  the  heart  and  life,  and 
the  differences  between  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  and  the  forms 


CONVERSION   AND    PREACHINO.  4I 

of  the  church,  in  terms  so  precise  and  clear,  that  no  merely  human 
teaching  could  have  enabled  him  so  to  do. 

Brought  up,  as  he  had  been,  among  the  Independents,  his  own 
views  on  one  point  of  church  ordinances  now  assumed  a  form 
differing  materially  from  what  his  parents  had  adopted.  Having 
experienced  a  change  of  heart,  he  felt  it  to  be  laid  upon  him  as  an 
imperative  duty  to  make  a  full  and  public  confession  of  the  change 
by  public  baptism.  He  had  united  himself  formally  with  the  Bap- 
tist people  the  year  before ;  now  he  felt  constrained  to  fully  cast  in 
his  lot  and  become  one  of  them  entirely.  He  wrote  many  letters 
home  to  his  father,  asking  for  advice  and  information,  but  striving 
to  enforce  his  own  conviction  for  making  a  public  profession  of 
his  faith  in  Christ.  At  length  the  father  was  satisfied  that  his  son 
had  no  faith  in  the  dogma  of  baptismal  regeneration ;  that  his 
motives  for  seeking  to  be  publicly  recognized  as  a  follower  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  were  higher  than  those  he  had  feared ;  therefore  no 
further  opposition  was  made,  and  the  necessary  steps  were  taken 
for  his  immersion. 

All  the  arrangements  having  been  made,  the  young  convert 
walked  from  Newmarket  to  Isleham,  seven  miles,  on  May  2d,  and 
staying  with  the  family  of  Mr.  Cantlow,  the  Baptist  minister  there, 
he  was  by  that  gentleman  publicly  baptized  in  that  village  on  Fri- 
day, May  3,  185  I,  being  in  his  sixteenth  year.  He  thus  proceeds 
in  his  letter  to  his  father:  "  It  is  very  pleasing  to  me  that  the  day 
on  which  I  shall  openly  profess  the  name  of  Jesus  is  my  mother's 
birthday.  May  it  be  to  both  of  us  a  foretaste  of  many  glorious 
and  happy  days  yet  to  come." 

Having  thus  publicly  devoted  himself  to  the  service  of  God,  he 
was  more  earnest  than  ever  in  his  efforts  to  do  good.  Besides 
having  himself  revived  an  old  society  for  distributing  tracts,  he 
undertook  to  carry  out  this  good  work  in  Newmarket  thoroughly. 
Whenever  he  walked  out  he  carried  these  messengers  of  mercy 
with  him;  he  was  instant  in  season,  and,  indeed,  was  seldom 
out  of  season,  in  his  efforts  to  do  good.  His  duties  in  school 
occupied  him  three  hours  daily,  the  remainder  of  his  time  being 
spent  in  his  closet  or  in  some  work  of  mercy.  The  Sunday-school 
very  soon  gained  his  attention,  and  his  addresses  to  the  children 


42  LIFE   AND    LADORS    OF    C.    II.    SPUKGEOX. 

were  so  full  of  love  and  instruction  that  the  children  carried  the 
good  tidings  home  to  their  parents ;  and  soon  they  came  to  hear 
the  addresses  in  the  vestry  of  the  Independent  chapel  in  that  town. 
The  place  was  soon  filled. 

At  one  of  the  examinations  of  the  school  he  had  consented  to 
deliver  an  oration  on  missions.  It  was  a  public  occasion,  and  in 
the  company  was  a  clergyman.  During  the  examination  the  cler- 
gyman heard  of  the  death  of  his  gardener,  and  suddenly  left  for 
home.  But  on  his  way  he  thus  reasoned  with  himself:  The  gar- 
dener is  dead ;  I  cannot  restore  his  life ;  I  will  return  and  hear 
what  the  young  usher  has  to  say  on  missions.  He  returned,  heard 
the  oration,  and  was  pleased  to  show  his  approval  by  presenting 
Mr.  Spurgeon  with  a  sovereign. 

Having  at  once  identified  himself  as  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Cambridge,  he  soon  found  occupation  suitable  to  his 
mind.  His  addresses  to  children,  and  afterwards  to  parents  and 
children,  had  produced  a  love  of  the  work,  and  he  soon  was 
called  to  exhort  a  village  congregation.  He  was  then  sixteen 
years  old.  Connected  with  the  Baptist  church  meeting  in  St. 
Andrew's  Street,  Cambridge,  formerly  under  the  pastoral  care  of 
the  late  learned  Robert  Hall,  there  existed  a  society  entitled  "The 
Lay  Preachers'  Association."  Although  so  young  in  years,  Mr. 
Spurgeon  was  accepted  as  a  member  of  this  association.  Here  he 
at  once  found  the  occupation  which  his  mind  most  desired ;  and 
he  was  soon  appointed  to  address  a  congregation. 

As  this  was  one  of  the  most  important  steps  in  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
life,  the  reader  will  be  glad  to  learn  from  his  own  pen  the  circum- 
stances which  led  to  his  first  attempted  sermon.  In  introducing 
the  text,  "  Unto  you  therefore  which  believe.  He  is  precious," 
I  Peter  ii.  7,  Mr.  Spurgeon  remarks,  in  1873:  "I  remember  well 
that,  more  than  twenty-two  years  ago,  the  first  attempted  sermon 
that  I  ever  made  was  from  this  text.  I  had  been  asked  to  walk 
out  to  the  village  of  Taver.sham,  about  four  miles  from  Cambridge, 
where  I  then  lived,  to  accompany  a  young  man  whom  I  supposed 
to  be  the  preacher  for  the  evening,  and  on  the  way  I  said  to  him 
that  I  trusted  God  would  bless  him  in  his  labors.  '  Oh,  dear,'  said 
he,  '  I  never  preached   in  my  life ;   I  never  thought  of  doing  such 


CONVERSION   AND    PREACIIINC].  43 

a  thing.  I  was  asked  to  walk  with  you,  and  I  sincerely  hope  God 
will  bless  YOU  in  YOUR  preaching.'  'Nay,'  said  I,  'but  I  never 
preached,  and  I  don't  know  that  I  could  do  anything  of  the  sort.' 
We  walked  together  till  we  came  to  the  place,  my  inmost  soul 
being  all  in  a  trouble  as  to  what  would  happen.  When  we  found 
the  congregation  assembled,  and  no  one  else  there  to  speak  of 
Jesus,  though  I  was  only  sixteen  years  of  age,  as  I  found  that  I 
was  expected  to  preach,  I  did  preach,  and  the  text  was  that  just 
given." 

Considering  the  results  which  have  followed  that  sermon,  and 
that  the  preacher  is  now  the  author  of  twenty-seven  large  volumes 
of  published  sermons,  and  that  nearly  two  thousand  of  his  sermons 
have  in  various  forms  been  printed  since  that  day,  it  will  be  inter- 
esting to  glance  at  some  of  the  incidents  belonging  to  that  early 
period  of  his  ministry.  In  the  summer  of  1875,  from  inquiries 
made  in  the  locality,  a  correspondent  of  the  "  Baptist "  newspaper 
reports  as  follows  :  — 

"  A  gentleman  informed  me  that  he  heard  Mr.  Spurgeon  preach 
his  first  sermon  when  about  sixteen  years  of  age ;  and  he  then 
read,  prayed,  and  expounded  the  Word,  being  attired  in  a  round 
jacket  and  broad  turn-down  collar,  such  as  I  remember  to  have 
been  in  fashion  at  that  period. 

"  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  then  living  near  Cambridge,  and  his  mode 
of  preaching  afforded  promise  that  he  would  become  a  powerful 
and  popular  preacher. 

"  Mr.  C,  the  schoolmaster  of  the  village  in  1850,  was  impressed 
with  the  precocious  talent  of  the  young  preacher,  and  at  his  style 
of  preaching." 

Having  once  entered  on  this  most  solemn  duty,  and  finding 
acceptance  with  the  people,  he  laid  himself  out  for  one  service 
every  evening,  after  attending  to  his  duties  in  school  during  the 
day. 

From  an  aged  and  experienced  Christian,  who  heard  Mr.  Spur- 
geon preach  before  his  call  to  London,  we  learn  that  his  addresses 
were  very  instructive,  and  often  included  illustrations  derived  from 
history,  geography,  astronomy,  and  from  other  branches  of  school 
occupation,    evidently   adapted    from    his    daily   duties,   and    thus 


44  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

made  to  serve  as  instruments  in  religion,  as  well  as  in  training  and 
informing  the  mind. 

His  early  ministry  was  not  only  gratuitous,  but  often  attended 
with  demands  on  his  small  salary,  which  he  willingly  gave  to  God, 
—  not  to  be  seen  of  men,  did  he  help  the  need}-. 

In  some  of  the  thirteen  village  stations  around  Cambridge  and 
Waterbeach,  to  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  devoted  all  his  evenings,  the 
preaching  was  held  in  a  cottage,  in  others  a  chapel,  and  occasion- 
ally the  open  Common  could  furnish  the  accommodation  required. 
At  the  village  of  Waterbeach.  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  received  in  a 
marked  manner  of  approval.  In  most  of  the  places  in  which  he 
had  preached  the  effect  was  very  much  alike,  in  the  large  numbers 
attracted  to  hear  the  Word  of  God,  and  in  the  success  which  God 
was  pleased  to  bestow  on  his  labors.  Even  at  that  early  period 
of  his  ministerial  career,  invitations  to  preach  special  sermons  in 
towns  and  villages  at  a  distance  soon  rapidly  increased.  At 
Waterbeach,  however,  the  little  church  saw  in  the  young  man  a 
suitability  to  their  wants,  and  they  gave  him  an  invitation  to 
become  their  pastor.  He  was  well  received  by  the  people,  and 
soon  became  quite  popular.  During  the  few  months  of  his  pas- 
torate there,  the  church  members  were  increased  from  forty  to 
nearly  one  hundred. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  has  himself  supplied  an  interesting  reminiscence 
of  his  ministry  at  that  village,  which  is  worth  preserving:  — 

"  When  we  had  just  commenced  our  youthful  pastorate  at 
Waterbeach,  in  1852,  Cornelius  Elven,  as  a  man  of  mark  in  that 
region,  was  requested  to  preach  the  anniversary  sermons  in  our 
little  thatched  meeting-house,  and  right  well  we  remember  his 
hearty  compliance  with  our  desire.  We  met  at  the  station  as  he 
alighted  from  a  third-class  carriage  which  he  had  chosen  in  order 
to  put  the  friends  to  the  least  possible  expense  for  his  travelling. 
His  bulk  was  stupendous,  and  one  soon  saw  that  his  heart  was  as 
large  in  proportion  as  his  body.  He  gave  us  much  sage  and  holy 
advice  during  the  visit,  which  came  to  us  with  much  the  same 
weight  as  Paul's  words  came  to  Timothy.  He  bade  us  study  hard, 
and  keep  abreast  of  the  foremost  Christians  in  our  little  church, 
adding  as  a  reason,  that  if  these  men,  either  in  their  knowledge 


CONVERSION   AND    PREACHING.  45 

of  Scripture  or  their  power  to  edify  the  people,  once  outstrip  you, 
the  temptation  will  arise  among  them  to  be  dissatisfied  with  your 
ministry ;  and,  however  good  they  are,  they  will  feel  their  superi- 
ority, and  others  will  perceive  it  too,  and  then  your  place  in  the 
church  will  become  very  difficult  to  hold.  His  sermons  were  very 
homely,  and  pre-eminently  practical.  He  told  anecdotes  of  the  use- 
fulness of  addressing  individuals  one  by  one  about  their  souls." 

It  has  been  remarked  a  hundred  times,  by  those  not  well  in- 
formed on  the  matter,  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  an  uneducated  man, 
and  had  no  college  instruction.  The  experience  of  a  quarter  of 
a  century  has  demonstrated  how  erroneous  were  these  remarks. 
Is  there  in  England  a  man  of  education  who  has  done  more  for 
the  extension  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  by  the  publication  of 
numerous  valuable  theological  and  instructive  books  than  Mr. 
Spurgeon?     Let  the  list  of  his  works  determine. 

On  the  question  of  not  going  to  college  there  is  also  some  mis- 
conception. The  exact  facts  are  worthy  of  being  placed  on  record. 
Mr.  Spurgeon  has  himself  so  clearly  stated  the  case  in  an  article 
he  wrote  some  time  ago  in  his  own  magazine,  that  the  reader  will 
be  glad  to  see  it  here;   it  is  curious  and  interesting:  — 

"  Soon  after  I  had  begun,  in  1852,  to  preach  the  Word  in  Water- 
beach,  I  was  strongly  advised  by  my  father  and  others  to  enter 
Stepney,  now  Regent's  Park  College,  to  prepare  more  fully  for 
the  ministry.  Knowing  that  learning  is  never  an  incumbrance 
and  is  often  a  great  means  of  usefulness,  I  felt  inclined  to  avail 
myself  of  the  opportunity  of  attaining  it,  although  I  believed  I 
might  be  useful  without  a  college  training,  I  consented  to  the 
opinion  of  friends,  that  I  should  be  more  useful  with  it.  Dr. 
Angus,  the  tutor  of  the  college,  visited  Cambridge,  where  I  then 
resided,  and  it  was  arranged  that  we  should  meet  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  Macmillan,  the  publisher.  Thinking  and  praying  over  the 
matter,  I  entered  the  house  at  exactly  the  time  appointed,  and 
was  shown  into  a  room,  where  I  waited  patiently  for  a  couple  of 
hours,  feeling  too  much  impressed  with  my  own  insignificance  and 
the  greatness  of  the  tutor  from  London  to  venture  to  ring  the 
bell  and  inquire  the  cause  of  the  unreasonably  long  delay. 

"  At  last,  patience  having  had  her  perfect  work,  the  bell  was 


46  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF    C.    H.    SPUROEON. 

set  in  motion,  and  on  the  arrival  of  the  servant,  the  waiting  young 
man  of  eighteen  was  informed  that  the  doctor  had  tarried  in 
another  room,  and  could  stay  no  longer,  so  had  gone  off  by  train 
to  London.  The  stupid  girl  had  given  no  information  to  the 
family  that  any  one  called  and  had  been  shown  into  the  drawing- 
room,  consequently  the  meeting  never  came  about,  although 
designed  by  both  parties.  I  was  not  a  little  disappointed  at  the 
moment;  but  have  a  thousand  times  since  then  thanked  the  Lord 
very  heartily  for  the  strange  providence  which  forced  my  steps 
into  another  and  far  better  path. 

"  Still  holding  to  the  idea  of  entering  the  Collegiate  Listitution, 
I  thought  of  writing  and  making  an  immediate  application ;  but 
this  was  not  to  be.  That  afternoon,  having  to  preach  at  a  village 
station,  I  walked  slowly  in  a  meditating  frame  of  mind  over  Mid- 
summer Common  to  the  little  wooden  bridge  which  leads  to 
Chesterton,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  common  I  was  startled  by  what 
seemed  to  me  to  be  a  loud  voice,  but  which  may  have  been  a 
singular  illusion :  whichever  it  was,  the  impression  it  made  on  my 
mind  was  most  vivid ;  I  seemed  very  distinctly  to  hear  the  words, 
*  Seekest  thou  great  things  for  thyself,  seek  them  not !  '  This  led 
me  to  look  at  my  position  from  a  different  point  of  view,  and  to 
challenge  my  motives  and  intentions.  I  remembered  my  poor 
but  loving  people  to  whom  I  ministered,  and  the  souls  which  had 
been  given  me  in  my  humble  charge ;  and  although  at  that  time 
I  anticipated  obscurity  and  poverty  as  the  result  of  the  resolve, 
yet  I  did  there  and  then  renounce  the  offer  of  collegiate  instruc- 
tion, determining  to  abide  for  a  season,  at  least,  with  ni}'  people, 
and  to  remain  preaching  the  Word  so  long  as  I  had  strength  to 
do  it.  Had  it  not  been  for  those  words,  1  had  not  been  where  I 
am  now.  Although  the  ephod  is  no  longer  worn  by  a  ministering 
priest,  the  Lord  guides  His  people  by  His  wisdom,  and  orders  all 
their  paths  in  love ;  and  in  times  of  perplexity,  by  ways  myste- 
rious and  remarkable,  He  says  to  them :  '  This  is  the  wa}' ,  walk 
ye  in  it'  " 

One  or  two  extracts  from  his  letters,  written  at  the  same  time, 
it  is  desirable  to  give  to  show  how  anxiously  the  matter  was  con- 
sidered.    In  his   reply  to   his   father,  dated   March  9,    1852,  Mr. 


CONVERSION    AM)    1' REACHING.  4/ 

Spurgeon  writes :  "  I  have  all  along  had  an  aversion  to  college, 
and  nothing  but  a  feeling  that  I  must  not  consult  myself,  but  Jesus, 
could  have  made  mc  think  of  it.  It  appears  to  my  friends  at 
Cambridge,  that  it  is  my  duty  to  remain  with  my  dear  people  at 
VVaterbeach ;  so  say  the  church  there  unanimously,  and  so  say 
three  of  our  deacons  at  Cambridge." 

During  the  summer  his  decision  was  taken,  in  the  way  previ- 
ously related;  and  in  a  letter  he  sent  to  his  mother  in  November 
following,  he  says :  "  I  am  more  and  more  glad  that  I  never  went 
to  college.  God  sends  such  sunshine  on  my  path,  such  smiles  of 
grace,  that  I  cannot  regret  if  I  have  forfeited  all  my  prospects  for 
it.  I  am  conscious  I  held  back  from  love  to  God  and  His  cause; 
and  I  had  rather  be  poor  in  His  service  than  rich  in  my  own.  I 
have  all  that  heart  can  wish  for ;  yea,  God  giveth  more  than  my 
desire.  My  congregation  is  as  great  and  loving  as  ever.  During 
all  the  time  I  have  been  at  VVaterbeach,  I  have  had  a  different 
house  for  my  home  every  day.  Fifty-two  families  have  thus  taken 
me  in ;  and  I  have  still  six  other  invitations  not  yet  accepted. 
Talk  about  the  people  not  caring  for  me  because  they  give  me  so 
little  !  I  dare  tell  anybody  under  heaven  't  is  false  !  They  do  all 
they  can.  Our  anniversary  passed  off  grandly ;  six  were  baptized ; 
crowds  on  crowds  stood  by  the  river ;  the  chapel  afterwards  was 
crammed  both  to  the  tea  and  the  sermon." 

By  these  and  other  exercises  of  mind,  God  was  preparing  his 
young  servant  for  greater  plans  of  usefulness  and  a  wider  sphere 
of  action. 

The  following  verses  were  written  by  Mr.  Spurgeon,  at  the  age 
of  eighteen :  — 

IMMANUEL. 

When  once  I  mourned  a  load  of  sin ; 
When  conscience  felt  a  wound  within; 
When  all  my  works  were  thrown  away ; 
When  on  my  knees  I  knelt  to  pray, 

Then,  blissful  hour,  remenil:)ered  well, 

I  learned  Thy  love,  Immanuel. 

When  storms  of  sorrow  toss  my  soul ; 
When  waves  of  care  around  me  roll; 


4.8  I.IFE    AND    LAUUKS    Ul*    C.    II.    Sl'UKGEON. 

When  comforts  sink,  when  joys  shall  flee  ; 

When  hopeless  griefs  shall  gape  for  me. 

One  word  tne  tempest's  rage  shall  quell— • 
That  word,   Tliy  name,  Inimanuei. 

When  for  the  truth  I  suffer  shame; 

When  foes  pour  scandal  on  my  name; 

When  cruel  taunts  and  jeers  abound  ; 

When  '•  Dulls  of  Bashan  "  gird  me  found, 
Secure  within  Thy  tower  1  Ml  dwell  — ■ 
That  tower,  Thy  grace,  Immanuel. 

When  hell  enraged  lifts  up  her  roar; 

When  Satan  stops  my  path  before; 

When  fiends  rejoice  and  wait  my  end  ; 

When  legioned  hosts  tlieir  arrows  send, 
Fear  not,  my  soul,  but  hurl  at  hell, 
Thy  battle-cry,  Immanuel. 

When  down  the  hill  of  life  I  go ; 

When  o'er  my  feet  death's  waters  flow ; 

When  in  the  deep'ning  flood  1  sink; 

When  friends  stand  weeping  on  the  brink, 
I  '11  mingle  with  my  last  farewell 
Thy  lovely  name,  Immanuel. 

When  tears  are  banished  from  mine  eye ; 

When  fairer  worlds  than  tliese  are  nigh ; 

When  heaven  shall  fill  my  ravished  sight; 

When  I  shall  bathe  in  sweet  delight, 
One  joy  all  joys  shall  far  excel, 
To  see  Thy  face,  Immanuel. 


IV. 
CALL  TO    LONDON. 


James  I.  once  said  of  armor,  that  "it  was  an  excellent  invention;  for  it  not 
only  saved  the  life  of  the  wearer,  but  it  hindered  him  from  doing  harm  to  any- 
body else."  Equally  destructive  to  all  usefulness  is  that  excessive  prudence 
upon  which  some  professors  pride  themselves ;  not  only  do  they  escape  all 
persecution,  but  they  are  never  able  to  strike  a  blow,  much  less  to  fight  a  battle 
for  the  Lord  Jesus.  —  C  H.  Spurgeon. 


CALL    TO    LONDON. 


THE  anniversary  meeting  of  the  Cambridge  Union  of  Sunday- 
schools  in  1853  was  held  at  Cambridge,  on  which  occasion 
Mr.  Spurgeon  was  called  upon  to  speak.  The  part  he  took  was 
of  remarkable  significance.  There  was  nothing  in  his  manner  or 
his  remarks  which  was  specially  attractive  to  his  audience;  but 
there  was  an  unseen  agency  at  work  with  the  speaker  as  well  as 
in  the  audience.  There  was  present  at  that  meeting  a  gentleman 
from  Essex,  on  whose  mind  the  address  delivered  by  Mr.  Spur- 
geon made  a  lasting  impression.  Shortly  afterwards  he  met  in 
London  with  one  of  the  deacons  of  the  Baptist  church  of  New 
Park  Street,  Southwark,  a  church  which  had  once  flourished  like 
the  ancient  cedars  of  Lebanon,  but  which  was  then  so  far  shorn 
of  its  former  glory  as  to  give  cause  of  serious  consideration. 
Anxiously  did  the  thoughtful  deacon  tell  his  tale  of  a  scattered 
church  and  a  diminished  congregation.  Fresh  upon  the  mind  of 
his  hearer  was  the  effect  of  the  speech  of  the  young  minister  at 
Cambridge,  and  he  ventured  to  speak  of  the  youthful  evangelist 
of  VVaterbeach  as  a  minister  likely  to  be  the  means  of  reviving 
interest  in  the  declining  church  at  New  Park  Street.  The  two 
friends  separated,  the  deacon  not  much  impressed  with  what  he 
had  heard  ;   and  things  grew  worse. 

But  finally  a  correspondence  was  commenced  between  Deacon 
James  Low  and  Mr.  Spurgeon,  which  soon  resulted  in  the  latter 
receiving  an  invitation  to  come  to  London  and  preach  before  them 
in  their  large  chapel.     The  work  was  altogether  of  God,  man  only 


$2  LIKE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SI'URGEON. 

made  the  arrangements.  The  motto  of  Julius  Caesar  may  be 
modified  to  express  the  results  of  the  visit:  Mr.  Spurgcon  came; 
he  preached  ;   he  conquered. 

For  some  months  the  pulpit  had  been  vacant,  the  pews  forsaken, 
the  aisles  desolate,  and  the  exchequer  empty.  Decay  had  set  in 
so  seriously  that  the  deacons  lost  heart,  and,  until  Mr.  Spurgeon 
arrived,  the  cause  seemed  hopeless.  In  the  autumn  of  1853  he 
first  occupied  New  Park-street  pulpit.  The  chapel,  capable  of 
holding  twelve  hundred  people,  had  about  two  hundred  occupants 
at  the  first  service.  The  preacher  was  a  young  man  who  had  just 
passed  his  nineteenth  year.  In  his  sermon  he  spoke  with  the 
freedom  and  boldness  which  evinced  that  he  believed  what  he 
preached,  and  believed  that  his  message  was  from  God.  Some 
were  disappointed ;  others  resolved  to  oppose,  and  did  oppose ; 
but  by  far  the  greater  proportion  were  disposed  to  hear  him  again. 
The  result  of  the  first  sermon  was  proved,  in  a  few  hours,  to  have 
been  a  success.  The  evening  congregation  was  greatly  increased, 
partly  from  curiosity,  partly  from  the  youth  of  the  preacher  and  his 
unusual  style  of  address.  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  again  invited  to  take 
the  pulpit  on  another  Sunday  as  early  as  possible,  for  a  feeling  of 
excitement  was  created,  and  it  required  to  be  satisfied.  After 
consulting  with  his  church  at  Waterbeach,  he  arranged  to  supply 
the  New  Park-street  pulpit  during  three  alternate  Lord's  days. 
The  desire  to  hear  the  young  preacher  having  greatly  extended, 
it  was  determined  to  invite  Mr.  Spurgeon  from  his  rustic  retreat 
to  undertake  the  heavy  responsibility  of  pastor  of  one  of  the 
most  ancient  Baptist  churches  in  London,  and  formerly  the  most 
influential ;   and  he  entered  on  that  duty  in  the  month  of  April, 

1854. 

We  are  permitted  to  give  two  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  letters  to  the 
church  at  the  time  of  his  appointment,  which  will  most  clearly 
state  the  facts  relating  to  his  coming  to  London.  The  first  of  the 
following  letters  was  written  to  Deacon  Low  shortly  before  Mr. 
Spurgeon  left  Cambridge,  and  the  second  is  dated  from  his  first 
lodgings  immediately  after  his  permanent  arrival  in  London. 


CALL   TO    LONDON.  53 

No.  60  I'AKK  Street,  Cambridge,  Jan.  27,  1S54. 
T(^  James  Low,  Esq. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  I  cannot  help  feeling  intense  gratification  at 
the  unanimity  of  the  church  at  New  Park  Street  in  relation  to 
their  invitation  to  me.  I  lad  I  been  uncomfortable  in  my  present 
situation,  I  should  have  felt  unmixed  pleasure  at  the  prospect 
Providence  seems  to  open  up  before  me ;  but  having  a  devoted  and 
loving  people,  I  feel  I  know  not  how. 

One  thing  I  know,  namely,  that  I  must  soon  be  severed  from 
them  by  necessity,  for  they  do  not  raise  sufficient  to  maintain  me 
in  comfort.  Had  they  done  so  I  should  have  turned  a  deaf  ear  to 
any  request  to  leave  them,  at  least  for  the  present.  But  now  my 
Heavenly  Father  drives  me  forth  from  this  little  Garden  of  Eden, 
and  while  I  see  that  I  must  go  out,  I  leave  it  with  reluctance,  and 
tremble  to  tread  the  unknown  land  before  me. 

When  I  first  ventured  to  preach  at  VVaterbeach,  I  only  accepted 
an  invitation  for  three  months,  on  the  condition  that  if  in  that  time 
I  should  see  good  reason  for  leaving,  or  they  on  their  part  should 
wish  for  it,  I  should  be  at  liberty  to  cease  supplying,  or  they  should 
have  the  same  power  to  request  me  to  do  so  before  the  expiration 
of  the  time. 

With  regard  to  a  six  months'  invitation  from  you,  I  have  no 
objection  to  the  length  of  time,  but  rather  approve  of  the  prudence 
of  the  church  in  wishing  to  have  one  so  young  as  myself  on  an 
extended  period  of  approbation.  But  I  write  after  well  weighing 
the  matter,  when  I  say  positively  that  I  cannot  —  I  dare  not  —  accept 
an  unqualified  invitation  for  so  long  a  time.  My  objection  is  not 
to  the  length  of  time  of  probation,  but  it  ill  becomes  a  youth  to 
promise  to  preach  to  a  London  congregation  so  long,  until  he 
knows  them  and  they  know  him,  I  would  engage  to  supply  for 
three  months  of  that  time,  and  then,  should  the  congregation  fail, 
or  the  church  disagree,  I  would  reserve  to  myself  liberty,  without 
breach  of  engagement,  to  retire ;  and  you  would  on  your  part 
have  the  right  to  dismiss  mc  without  seeming  to  treat  me  ill. 
Should  I  see  no  reason  for  so  doing,  and  the  church  still  retain 
their  wish  for  me,  T  can  remain  the  other  three  months,  either  with 


54  LIF'E   AND    LABORS    OF    C.    H.    Sl'lROEON. 

or  without  the  formality  of  a  further  in\'itation  ;  but  even  during 
the  second  three  months  I  should  not  like  to  regard  myself  as  a 
fixture,  in  case  of  ill  success,  but  would  only  be  a  suppl}-,  liable  to 
a  fortnight's  dismissal  or  resignation. 

Perhaps  this  is  not  business-like,  —  I  do  not  know ;  but  this  is 
the  course  I  should  prefer,  if  it  would  be  agreeable  to  the  church. 
Enthusiasm  and  popularity  are  often  the  crackling  of  thorns,  and 
soon  expire.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  a  hindrance  if  I  cannot  be  a 
help. 

With  regard  to  coming  at  once,  I  think  I  must  not.  My  own 
deacons  just  hint  that  I  ought  to  finish  the  quarter  here :  though, 
by  ought,  they  mean  simply,  —  pray  do  so  if  you  can.  This 
would  be  too  long  a  delay.  I  wish  to  help  them  until  they  can 
get  supplies,  which  is  only  to  be  done  with  great  difficulty ;  and, 
as  I  have  given  you  four  Sabbaths,  I  hope  you  will  allow  me  to 
give  them  four  in  return.  I  would  give  them  the  first  and  second 
Sabbaths  in  February,  and  two  more  in  a  month  or  six  weeks' 
time.  I  owe  them  much  for  their  kindness,  although  they  insist 
that  the  debt  lies  on  their  side.  Some  of  them  hope,  and  almost 
pray,  that  you  may  be  tired  in  three  months,  so  that  I  may  be 
again  sent  back  to  them. 

Thus,  my  dear  sir,  I  have  honestly  poured  out  my  heart  to  you. 
You  are  too  kind.  You  will  excuse  me  if  I  err,  for  I  wish  to  do 
right  to  you,  to  my  people,  and  to  all,  as  being  not  mine  own,  but 
bought  with  a  price. 

I  respect  the  honesty  and  boldness  of  the  small  minorit}'.  and 
only  wonder  that  the  number  was  not  greater.  I  pray  God  that 
if  He  does  not  see  fit  that  I  should  remain  with  you,  the  majority 
may  be  quite  as  much  the  other  way  at  the  end  of  six  months,  so 
that  I  may  never  divide  you  into  parties. 

Pecuniary  matters  I  am  well  satisfied  with.  And  now  one  thing 
is  due  to  every  minister,  and  I  pray  you  to  remind  the  church  of 
it,  namely,  that  in  private,  as  well  as  public,  they  must  all  wrestle 
in  prayer  to  God  that  I  may  be  sustained  in  the  great  work. 

I  am,  with  the  best  wishes  for  your  health,  and  the  greatest 
respect,  Yours  truly, 

C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


CALL  TO   LONDON.  55 

Viewed  in  the  light  of  subsequent  results,  it  will  not  surprise 
the  reader  to  learn  that  it  did  not  take  the  church  six  months  to 
determine  their  part  of  the  contract.  Before  three  months  had 
passed  away,  "  the  small  minority "  had  been  absorbed  into  the 
majority,  and  the  entire  church  united  in  giving  their  young  min- 
ister, not  yet  twenty  years  old,  an  invitation  to  accept  the  pas- 
torate, both  cordial  and  unanimous.  Mr.  Spurgeon's  second  letter 
at  this  period  will  best  explain  the  real  facts :  — - 

-je,  Dover  Road,  Borough,  April  28,  1854. 

To  the  Baptist  Church  of  Christ  worshipping  in  New  Park-street 
Chapel,  Southwark. 

Dearly  Beloved  in  Christ  Jesus,  —  I  have  received  your 
unanimous  invitation,  as  contained  in  a  resolution  passed  by  you 
on  the  19th  instant,  desiring  me  to  accept  the  pastorate  among  you. 
No  lengthened  reply  is  required ;  there  is  but  one  answer  to  so 
loving  and  cordial  an  invitation.  I  ACCEPT  IT.  I  have  not  been 
perplexed  as  to  what  my  reply  shall  be,  for  many  things  constrain 
me  thus  to  answer. 

I  sought  not  to  come  to  you,  for  I  was  the  minister  of  an 
obscure  but  affectionate  people ;  I  never  solicited  advancement. 
The  first  note  of  invitation  from  your  deacons  came  to  me  quite 
unlooked  for,  and  I  trembled  at  the  idea  of  preaching  in  London. 
I  could  not  understand  how  it  came  about,  and  even  now  I  am 
filled  with  astonishment  at  the  wondrous  Providence.  I  would 
wish  to  give  myself  into  the  hands  of  our  covenant  God,  whose 
wisdom  directs  all  things.  He  shall  choose  for  me ;  and  so  far  as 
I  can  judge  this  is  His  choice. 

I  feel  it  to  be  a  high  honor  to  be  the  pastor  of  a  people  who 
can  mention  glorious  names  as  my  predecessors ;  and  I  entreat 
of  you  to  remember  me  in  prayer,  that  I  may  realize  the  solemn 
responsibility  of  my  trust.  Remember  my  youth  and  inexperi- 
ence ;  pray  that  these  may  not  hinder  my  usefulness.  I  trust, 
also,  that  the  remembrance  of  these  may  lead  you  to  forgive  the 
mistakes  I  may  make,  or  unguarded  words  I  may  utter. 

Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Most  High !   if  He  has  called  me  to 


56  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 

this  office  He  will  support  me  in  it ;  otherwise,  how  should  a  child, 
a  youth,  have  the  presumption  thus  to  attempt  a  work  which 
filled  the  heart  and  hands  of  Jesus?  Your  kindness  to  me  has 
been  very  great,  and  my  heart  is  knit  unto  you.  I  fear  not  your 
steadfastness ;  I  fear  my  own.  The  gospel,  I  believe,  enables  me 
to  venture  great  things,  and  by  faith  I  venture  this.  I  ask  your 
co-operation  in  every  good  work,  —  in  visiting  the  sick,  in  bring- 
ing in  inquirers,  and  in  mutual  edification. 

Oh,  that  I  may  be  no  injury  to  you,  but  a  lasting  benefit !  I  have 
no  more  to  say,  only  this :  that  if  I  have  expressed  myself  in  these 
few  words  in  a  manner  unbecoming  my  youth  and  inexperience, 
you  will  not  impute  it  to  arrogance,  but  forgive  my  mistake. 

And  now,  commending  you  to  our  covenant-keeping  God,  the 
triune  Jehovah,  I  am  yours  to  serve  in  the  gospel, 

C.  H.  Spurgeon. 

Before  three  months  of  the  new  pastorate  had  expired  the  fame 
of  the  young  minister  had  spread  over  the  metropolis,  crowds  of 
people  flocked  to  his  chapel  at  every  service,  and  the  newspapers, 
week  by  week  for  some  time,  were  asking:  Who  is  this  Spurgeon? 
For  a  long  time  that  question  was  a  puzzle  to  many  minds ;  but 
one  thing  was  certain,  he  had  secured  the  ear  and  the  attention  of 
the  public,  who  waited  upon  his  ministry  by  thousands. 

The  summer  of  1854  will  long  be  remembered  for  the  frightful 
scourge  of  Asiatic  cholera  with  which  the  great  city  was  visited. 
The  black  flag  could  be  seen  stretched  across  streets  to  warn 
strangers  of  the  close  proximity  of  plague-stricken  dwellings.  On 
all  sides  there  was  anxious  foreboding,  sorrow,  or  bereavement. 
The  young  pastor's  services  were  eagerly  sought  for,  his  time 
and  strength  taxed  to  their  utmost ;  but  he  discharged  the  duties 
of  the  emergency  with  a  true  and  manly  courage.  A  paragraph 
from  his  "Treasury  of  David,"  on  Psalm  xci.,  most  graphically 
describes  this  trying  period :  — 

"  In  the  year  1854,  when  I  had  scarcely  been  in  London  twelve 
months,  the  neighborhood  in  which  I  labored  was  visited  by 
Asiatic  cholera,  and  my  congregation  suffered  from  its  inroads. 
F'amily  after  family  summoned  me  to  the  bedsides  of  the  smitten, 


Mr.  Spurgeon  at  the  Age  of  Twenty-one. 


CALL  TO   LONDON.  57 

and  almost  every  day  I  was  called  to  visit  the  grave.  I  gave 
myself  up  with  youthful  ardor  to  the  visitation  of  the  sick,  and 
was  sent  for  from  all  corners  of  the  district  by  persons  of  all  ranks 
and  religions.  I  became  weary  in  body  and  sick  at  heart.  My 
friends  seemed  falling  one  by  one,  and  I  felt  or  fancied  that  I  was 
sickening  like  those  around  me.  A  little  more  work  and  weeping 
would  have  laid  me  low  among  the  rest.  I  felt  that  my  burden 
was  heavier  than  I  could  bear,  and  I  was  ready  to  sink  under  it. 
As  God  would  have  it,  I  was  returning  mournfully  home  from  a 
funeral,  when  my  curiosity  led  me  to  read  a  paper  which  was 
wafered  up  in  a  shoemaker's  window  in  the  Dover  Road.  It  did 
not  look  like  a  trade  announcement,  nor  was  it;  for  it  bore  in  a 
good  bold  handwriting  these  words :  '  Because  thou  hast  made  the 
Lord,  which  is  my  refuge,  even  the  Most  High,  thy  habitation ; 
there  shall  no  evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall  any  plague  come  nigh 
thy  dwelling.'  The  effect  upon  my  heart  was  immediate.  Faith 
appropriated  the  passage  as  her  own.  I  felt  secure,  refreshed,  girt 
with  immortality.  I  went  on  with  my  visitation  of  the  dying  in 
a  calm  and  peaceful  spirit ;  I  felt  no  fear  of  evil,  and  I  suffered 
no  harm.  The  Providence  which  moved  the  tradesman  to  place 
those  verses  in  his  window  I  gratefully  acknowledge,  and  in  the  re- 
membrance of  its  marvellous  power  I  adore  the  Lord  my  God." 

In  the  autumn  of  his  first  year's  pastorate  he  preached  a  ser- 
mon from  the  words,  "Is  it  not  wheat  harvest  to-day?"  The 
sermon  attracted  attention,  was  much  talked  about  by  his  hearers, 
and  during  the  following  week  it  appeared  under  the  title  of 
"  Harvest  Time,"  and  had  a  large  sale.  This  led  the  publisher 
shortly  afterwards  to  print  another  of  his  sermons,  under  the  title 
of  "God's  Providence."  The  public  at  once  took  to  these  sermons, 
and  by  the  end  of  the  year  about  a  dozen  had  thus  been  issued. 
This  greatly  increased  his  popularity ;  for  many  who  had  not 
heard  him,  read  those  sermons,  were  interested  in  them,  and  soon 
found  opportunity  to  go  and  hear  him.  The  demand  for  his 
sermons  being  considerably  greater  than  for  the  sermons  of  other 
ministers  then  being  published,  Mr.  Spurgeon  made  arrangements 
with  the  first  friend  he  met  in  London,  who  was  a  printer,  and  a 
member  of  his  church,  to  commence  the  publication  of  one  sermon 


58  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    IL    SPURGEON. 

of  his  every  week,  beginning  with  the  new  year,  1855.  Through 
the  good  providence  of  God  the  sermons  have  appeared  continu- 
ously, week  by  week,  without  interruption,  for  more  than  twenty- 
seven  years,  with  a  steady,  improving,  and  large  circulation,  which 
is  in  itself  a  marked  indication  of  divine  favor.  No  other  minister 
the  world  has  ever  known  has  been  able  to  produce  one  printed 
sermon  weekly  for  so  many  years.  The  work  still  goes  on  with 
unabated  favor  and  unceasing  interest. 

The  following  description  of  the  preacher's  style  at  this  period 
is  one  of  the  earliest  we  have  met  with :  "  His  voice  is  clear  and 
musical ;  his  language  plain ;  his  style  flowing,  but  terse ;  his 
method  lucid  and  orderly ;  his  matter  sound  and  suitable ;  his 
tone  and  spirit  cordial ;  his  remarks  always  pithy  and  pungent, 
sometimes  familiar  and  colloquial,  yet  never  light  or  coarse,  much 
less  profane.  Judging  from  a  single  sermon,  we  supposed  that  he 
would  become  a  plain,  faithful,  forcible,  and  affectionate  preacher 
of  the  gospel  in  the  form  called  Calvinistic ;  and  our  judgment 
was  the  more  favorable  because,  while  there  was  a  solidity  beyond 
his  years,  we  detected  little  of  the  wild  luxuriance  naturally  char- 
acteristic of  very  young  preachers."  Want  of  order  and  arrange- 
ment was  a  fault  the  preacher  soon  found  out  himself,  and  he 
refers  to  it  when  he  says:  "  Once  I  put  all  my  knowledge  together 
in  glorious  confusion ;  but  now  I  have  a  shelf  in  my  head  for 
everything;  and  whatever  I  read  or  hear  I  know  where  to  stow 
it  away  for  use  at  the  proper  time." 

Amongst  the  multitudes  who  assembled  to  hear  the  popular 
preacher  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  who,  being 
deeply  impressed  by  what  he  saw  and  heard,  wrote  a  lengthened 
article  on  the  subject.  The  writer  observes  :  "  The  crowds  which 
have  been  drawn  to  hear  him,  the  interest  excited  by  his  ministry, 
and  the  conflicting  opinions  expressed  in  reference  to  his  qualifi- 
cations and  usefulness,  have  been  altogether  without  parallel  in 
modern  times.  It  was  a  remarkable  sight  to  see  this  round-faced 
country  youth  thus  placed  in  a  position  of  such  solemn  and  ardu- 
ous responsibility,  yet  addressing  himself  to  the  fulfilment  of  its 
onerous  duties  with  a  gravity,  self-possession,  and  vigor  that 
proved  him  well  fitted  for  the  task  he  had  assumed. 


CALL   TO    LONDON.  59 

Within  one  year,  New  Park-street  Chapel  had  to  be  enlarged. 
During  the  enlargement,  Exeter  Hall  was  taken,  and  it  was  filleJ 
to  overflowing  every  Sabbath  morning  to  hear  the  young  preacher. 
The  chapel,  which  had  been  enlarged  to  the  fullest  extent  of  the 
ground,  was  soon  found  to  be  far  too  circumscribed  for  the  thou- 
sands who  flocked  to  hear  him;  and  by  the  end  of  the  summer 
it  became  necessary  to  seek  for  a  much  larger  place  to  satisfy 
the  demand  of  the  public. 

On  the  19th  of  June,  1855,  Mr.  Spurgeon  came  of  age,  and  he 
improved  the  occasion  by  preaching  a  sermon  relating  thereto. 
A  large  congregation  heard  it,  and  it  was  printed,  with  an  excel- 
lent likeness  of  the  young  preacher,  pale  and  thin  as  he  then  was. 
The  sermon  was  published  with  the  title,  "  Pictures  of  Life,  and 
Birthday  Reflections."  It  had  a  large  sale.  That  was  the  first 
portrait  of  him  which  had  been  issued. 

At  that  period  the  first  attempt  to  issue  a  penny  weekly  news- 
paper was  made  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Banks,  and  the  "Christian  Cabinet" 
was  a  very  spirited  publication.  The  value  of  a  pure  and  cheap 
press  was  fully  appreciated  by  Mr.  Spurgeon,  who  generously 
furnished  articles  for  the  columns  of  that  serial  during  nearly 
the  whole  of  its  first  year's  existence.  They  show  a  clear  and 
sound  judgment  on  many  public  events  passing  more  than  twenty 
years  ago,  and  they  are  the  first  buddings  of  that  genius  which 
has  since  ripened  so  fully,  and  yielded  such  an  abundant  harvest 
of  rich  mental  food.  The  books  which  have  since  come  from 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  pen  are  equally  marvellous  for  their  number, 
variety,  and  usefulness,  and  some  of  them  have  had  most  unpre- 
cedentedly  large  sales. 

In  July  of  this  year,  1855,  he  paid  his  first  visit  to  Scotland, 
and  a  lively  description  of  his  congregation  and  preaching  was 
printed  in  the  "  Cabinet." 

On  the  bright  evening  of  the  4th  of  September,  Mr.  Spurgeon 
preached  to  about  twelve  thousand  people  in  a  field  in  King 
Edward's  Road,  Hackney.  The  sermon  was  printed  under  the 
title  of  "  Heaven  and  Hell,"  and  had  a  very  large  sale,  doing  at 
the  same  time  a  large  amount  of  good.  The  sermon  was  closed 
by  the  preacher  giving  the  following  account  of  his  own  conver- 


60  LIFE    AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

sion,  which  had  a  good  effect  on  his  audience,  proving  that  expe- 
rience is  the  best  teacher.  There  were  thousands  of  young  people 
present  who  were  astonished  at  what  they  heard,  and  many  turned 
that  night  from  their  sins.     The  preacher  said :  — 

"  I  can  remember  the  time  when  my  sins  first  stared  me  in  the 
face.  I  thought  myself  the  most  accursed  of  all  men.  I  had  not 
committed  any  very  great  open  transgressions  against  God ;  but 
I  recollected  that  I  had  been  well  trained  and  tutored,  and  I 
thought  my  sins  were  thus  greater  than  other  people's.  I  cried 
to  God  to  have  mercy,  but  I  feared  that  He  would  not  pardon  me. 
Month  after  month  I  cried  to  God,  but  He  did  not  hear  me,  and 
I  knew  not  what  it  was  to  be  saved.  Sometimes  I  was  so  weary 
of  the  world  that  I  desired  to  die ;  but  I  then  recollected  that 
there  was  a  worse  world  after  this,  and  that  it  would  be  an  ill 
matter  to  rush  before  my  Maker  unprepared.  At  times  I  wickedly 
thought  God  a  most  heartless  tyrant,  because  He  did  not  answer 
my  prayer;  and  then  at  others  I  thought,  '  I  deserve  His  displeas- 
ure; if  He  sends  me  to  hell.  He  will  be  just.'  But  I  remember 
the  hour  when  I  stepped  into  a  place  of  worship,  and  saw  a  tall, 
thin  man  step  into  the  pulpit :  I  have  never  seen  him  from  that 
day,  and  probably  never  shall  till  we  meet  in  heaven.  He  opened 
the  Bible,  and  read  with  a  feeble  voice :  '  Look  unto  Me  and  be  ye 
saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth ;  for  I  am  God,  and  beside  Me 
there  is  none  else.'  Ah !  thought  I,  I  am  one  of  the  ends  of  the 
earth ;  and  then,  turning  round,  and  fixing  his  gaze  on  me,  as 
if  he  knew  me,  the  minister  said :  '  Look,  look,  look !  '  Why,  I 
thought  I  had  a  great  deal  to  do,  but  I  found  it  was  only  to  look. 
I  thought  I  had  a  garment  to  spin  out  for  myself;  but  I  found 
that  if  I  looked,  Christ  could  give  me  a  garment.  Look,  sinner, 
that  is  the  way  to  be  saved.  Look  unto  Him,  all  ye  ends  of  the 
earth,  and  be  saved." 

Preaching  is  the  ordained  means  for  the  salvation  of  sinners: 
the  power  of  appeal  by  the  human  voice  is  greater  than  any 
other;  but  there  is  another  influence  which  is  potent.  Before 
Mr.  Spurgeon  had  issued  more  than  half  a  year's  sermons  from 
the  press,  letters  reached  him  from  far-off  places  recording  the 
good  which  had  been  effected  by  reading  them.     On  one  of  Mr. 


CALL   TO    LONDON.  6l 

« 

Spurgeon's  visits  to  Scotland  he  was  taken  to  visit  Anne  Sims, 
an  aged  saint  living  at  the  Brae  of  Killiecrankie,  far  away  up  the 
mountains,  who  had  expressed  intense  delight  in  reading  his  ser- 
mons, and  prayed  for  his  success  in  the  work,  little  thinking  that 
in  her  mountain  solitude,  and  in  her  ninetieth  year,  she  should 
ever  see  the  preacher  himself,  whose  visit  was  to  her  like  that  of 
an  angel.  It  would  be  difficult  to  chronicle  the  results  which  have 
followed  the  reading  of  the  sermons.  In  the  first  article  in  "  The 
Sword  and  the  Trowel"  for  1872,  the  editor  himself  says,  "Our 
ministry  has  never  been  without  large  results  in  conversion." 
Twenty  conversions  have  been  reported  to  him  by  letter  in  one 
week.  The  last  Sunday  sermon  he  preached  in  1855,  with  which 
the  first  volume  of  his  printed  discourses  is  closed,  had  special 
reference  to  the  war  in  the  Crimea,  and  it  commanded  a  large 
sale ;  its  title  was,  "  Healing  for  the  Wounded."  It  contributed 
materially  to  allay  public  anxiety  about  the  war.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
closed  the  year  by  holding  a  Watchnight  Service  in  his  chapel. 
It  was  a  happy  and  memorable  service,  and  it  has  been  repeated 
at  the  close  of  every  year  since ;  the  last  hours  of  the  closing 
year  and  the  first  moments  of  the  opening  new  year  being  devoted 
to  the  worship  of  God,  in  acts  of  personal  consecration. 

It  is  a  gratifying  fact,  not  generally  known,  that  from  the  first 
year  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  ministry  in  London  several  clergymen 
have  used  his  sermons  weekly,  with  a  little  adaptation,  in  their 
own  churches.  This  testimony  has  been  given  by  the  clergy- 
men themselves,  in  person  and  by  letter,  to  the  writer.  Some  are 
using  the  sermons  in  that  way  at  the  present  time,  and  though 
delivered  second-hand  in  this  manner,  yet  they  are  not  without 
fruit. 


63  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.   H.   SPURGEON. 


PSALM  XXI. 

Thy  strength,  O  Lord,  makes  glad  our  King, 
Who  once  in  weakness  bowed  the  head ; 

Salvation  makes  His  heart  to  sing, 
For  Thou  hast  raised  Him  from  the  dead. 

Thou  hast  bestowed  His  heart's  desires, 
Showered  on  His  path  Thy  blessings  down; 

His  royal  pomp  all  Heaven  admires  ; 
Thou  on  His  head  hast  set  the  crown. 

A  life  eternal  as  Thy  years, 

A  glory  infinite  hke  Thine, 
Repays  Him  for  His  groans  and  tears, 

And  fills  His  soul  with  joy  divine. 

O  King,  belovt:d  of  our  souls, 

Thine  own  right  hand  shall  find  Thy  foes! 
Swift  o'er  their  necks  Thy  chariot  rolls, 

And  Earth  Thy  dreadful  vengeance  knows. 

As  glowing  oven  is  Thy  wrath, 

As  flame  by  furious  blast  upblown  ; 
With  equal  heat  Thy  love  breaks  forth, 

Like  wall  of  fire  around  Thine  own. 

Be  Thou  exalted,  King  of  kings ! 

In  Thine  own  strength  sit  Thou  on  high! 
Thy  Church  Thy  triumph  loudly  sings, 

And  lauds  Thy  glorious  Majesty. 

C.   H.    Si'URGEOM. 


V. 

ABUNDANT  IN   LABORS. 


Life  is  so  brief  that  no  man  can  afford  to  lose  an  hour  of  it.  It  has  been 
well  said,  that  if  a  king  should  bring  us  a  great  heap  of  gold,  and  bid  us  take 
as  much  as  we  could  count  in  a  day,  we  should  make  a  long  day  of  it ;  we- 
should  begin  early  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  evening  we  should  not  with- 
hold our  hand.  Now,  to  win  souls,  or  to  grow  in  grace,  or  to  commune  with 
God,  is  far  nobler  work  ;  how  is  it  that  we  so  soon  withdraw  from  it?  —  C.  H. 
Spurgeon. 


ABUNDANT  IN  LABORS. 


THE  year  1856  was  a  remarkable  one  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Spur- 
geon.  It  was  the  year  of  his  marriage ;  the  year  in  which 
he  preached  his  grandfather's  jubilee  sermon,  and  one  of  the 
centenary  sermons  in  Whitfield's  Tabernacle  in  Tottenham  Court 
Road. 

During  the  first  week  of  the  year  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  delighting 
large  audiences  at  Bath.  The  second  week  was  made  memorable 
by  a  service  held  in  his  own  chapel,  in  which  the  young  people, 
more  particularly,  took  a  very  lively  interest.  Early  in  the  fore- 
noon of  January  8th  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  married  to  Miss  Susanna 
Thompson,  daughter  of  Mr.  Robert  Thompson,  of  Falcon  Square, 
London.  Twin  boys,  Charles  and  Thomas  Spurgeon,  are  the  only 
additions  to  their  family.     Both  are  now  settled  pastors. 

At  this  period  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  daily  in  the  pulpit,  often 
travelling  many  miles  between  the  services  held ;  and  for  months 
together  he  preached  twelve  sermons  weekly,  with  undiminished 
force  and  unflagging  zeal.  In  the  achievement  of  such  herculean 
tasks  he  has  doubtless  been  indebted  to  an  excellent  constitution 
and  to  his  simple  habits  of  living.  He  is  the  very  embodiment  of 
nature,  without  the  usual  make-up  of  art.  He  throws  himself  on 
the  tide  of  social  intercourse  with  the  freedom  of  one  who  has  no 
tricks  to  exhibit  and  no  failings  to  conceal.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
pleasant  of  companions  :  pious  without  any  of  the  shams  of  piety; 
temperate  without  a  touch  of  asceticism ;  and  devout  without  the 
solemnity  of  the  devotee.     Preaching  for  his  poorer  brethren  in 

65 


66  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

the  country,  he  decHned  to  receive  any  contribution  towards  his 
personal  outlay,  excepting  only  in  cases  where  the  church  could 
well  afford  to  pay  his  travelling  expenses. 

New  Park-street  Chapel  when  enlarged  soon  became  utterly 
inadequate  to  receive  the  crowds  which  flocked  to  hear  Mr.  Spur- 
geon,  and  the  deacons  found  it  necessary  to  take  the  largest 
available  building  in  London, —  the  Royal  Surrey  Gardens  Music 
!!all, —  and  in  October,  1856,  Mr.  Spurgeon  commenced  to 
pieach  every  Sabbath  in  that  vast  audieiice-room,  continuing  the 
marning  service  there  till  the  great  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  was 
opened. 

What  is  known  as  the  Surrey  Gardens  catastrophe  we  need  not 
do  more  than  allude  to.  On  October  19th  a  sad  and  fatal  acci- 
dent had  wellnigh  put  an  end  to  the  large  Sabbath  gatherings 
drawn  to  hear  Mr.  Spurgeon  ;  but  that  fatality  was  overruled  for 
good.  Previous  to  this  Mr.  Spurgeon  knew  not  what  illness  was; 
but  this  calamity,  joined  with  the  wicked  calumnies  of  a  portion  of 
the  press,  laid  prostrate  even  the  strong  man. 

In  October,  1856,  the  first  meeting  was  held  for  considering  the 
steps  necessary  to  be  taken  for  erecting  a  great  Tabernacle.  The 
proposal  was  very  heartily  taken  up  by  Mr.  Spurgeon's  friends, 
and  in  every  part  of  the  country  sympathy  was  largely  shown 
with  the  movement.  There  were  many  who  laughed  at  the  idea 
of  erecting  as  a  place  of  worship  an  edifice  to  hold  five  thousand 
persons.  Regardless  of  these  objections  the  work  went  on,  Mr. 
Spurgeon  travelling  all  over  the  land,  preaching  daily,  with  the 
promise  of  half  the  proceeds  of  the  collection  being  devoted  to 
the  new  Tabernacle.  The  foundation-stone  of  the  great  building 
was  laid  by  Sir  Samuel  Morton  Peto,  Aug.  16,  1859. 

During  the  progress  of  the  work  Mr.  Spurgeon  met  on  the 
ground,  one  evening  after  the  workmen  had  left,  one  of  his  dea- 
cons. After  some  consultation  and  meditation,  surrounded  by 
planks,  piles  of  timber  and  bricks,  in  the  dim  twilight,  they  both 
knelt  down  where  no  eye  could  see  them  but  that  of  God ;  and 
with  only  the  canopy  of  heaven  for  their  covering,  the  pastor  and 
his  friend  each  poured  out  most  earnest  supplications  for  the  pros- 
perity of  the  work,  the  safety  of  the  men  engaged  on  the  building. 


Surrey  Music  Hall. 


AHLMJANT    IN    LABORS.  6/ 

and  a  blessing  on  the  church.  Their  prayers  were  not  offered 
in  vain,  but  were  abundantly  answered.  Out  of  so  large  a 
number  of  men  engaged  on  the  work,  not  one  of  them  suffered 
harm. 

In  i860  a  large  and  enthusiastic  meeting  was  held  in  the  build- 
ing before  it  was  finished,  at  which  much  money  was  given  and 
more  promised.  Great  preparations  were  made  during  the  winter 
for  the  holding  of  a  large  bazaar  in  the  spring,  which  was  proba- 
bly one  of  the  largest  and  most  productive  of  the  kind  ever  held 
in  London.  The  opening  services  were  commenced  on  March  25, 
1 86 1,  and  were  continued  without  interruption  for  five  weeks.  As 
the  result  of  all  these  efforts,  the  great  Tabernacle,  to  hold  five 
thousand  people,  was  free  from  debt  at  the  end  of  the  special  ser- 
vices, and  $155,000  of  free-will  offerings  had  been  poured  into  the 
hands  of  the  treasurer.  Since  then  various  improvements  have 
been  made  in  the  audience-room,  and,  using  every  facility  modern 
invention  could  suggest,  seats  have  been  provided  for  5,500  per- 
sons, and  standing  room  for  1,000  more,  —  total,  6,500. 

Large  as  is  the  accommodation  provided,  the  Tabernacle  has 
always  been  filled.  All  the  prophets  of  evil  have  been  found  false 
prophets,  and  the  spirit  of  faith  with  which  the  work  was  begun 
has  had  its  full  reward  in  results  even  greater  than  ever  had  been 
anticipated. 

When  the  church  removed  from  New  Park  Street,  in  1861,  it 
numbered  1,178  members.  In  ten  years  from  the  commence- 
ment of  his  ministry  Mr.  Spurgeon  had  received  into  fellowship 
by  baptism  3,569  persons. 

During  the  period  in  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  preaching  in  the 
Surrey  Music  Hall  large  numbers  of  the  aristocracy  attended  his 
ministry;  amongst  whom  were  Lord  Chief  Justice  Campbell,  the 
Lord  Mayor  and  Sheriffs  of  London,  Earl  Russell,  Lord  Alfred 
Paget,  Lord  Panmure,  Earl  Grey,  I'^arl  Shaftesbury,  the  Marquis 
of  Westminster,  the  Duchess  of  Sutherland,  Lord  Carlisle,  Earl  of 
Elgin,  Baron  Bramwell,  Miss  Elorence  Nightingale,  Lady  Roth- 
schild, Dr.  Livingstone,  and  many  other  persons  of  learning  and 
distinction,  some  of  whom  sought  and  obtained  interviews  with  tb.e 
preacher.      It  was   durin;^;-   that   interim   that   Mr.   Spurgeon   paid 


68  LIFE    AND    LABORS    OF   C.    IL    Sl'lRGEOX. 

one  of  his  visits  to  Holland,  was  privileged  to  preach  before  the 
Dutch  Court,  and  had  a  lengthened  interview  with  the  queen  of 
that  country.  It  was  reported  that  some  members  of  the  English 
Royal  Family  also  occasionally  attended  on  his  preaching,  and 
not  a  few  distinguished  clergymen  and  professors. 

During  the  present  year  Mr.  Gladstone  and  his  son  have  formed 
part  of  the  congregation,  and  a  mutual  interview  was  held  at  the 
close  of  the  service  between  the  great  premier  and  the  humble 
pastor.  Mr.  Gladstone  has  often  spoken  very  highly  of  Mr.  Spur- 
geon,  calling  him  "  the  last  of  the  Puritans." 

Dr.  Livingstone,  the  great  African  explorer,  said,  on  one  occa- 
sion after  hearing  Mr.  Spurgeon,  that  no  religious  service  he  ever 
remembered  had  so  deeply  impressed  his  own  mind  as  that  he  had 
witnessed  and  participated  in  that  morning;  adding,  that  when 
he  had  retired  again  into  the  solitudes  of  Africa,  no  scene  he  had 
ever  witnessed  would  afford  him  more  consolation  than  to  recall 
the  recollection  that  there  was  one  man  God  had  raised  up  who 
could  so  effectively  and  impressively  preach  to  congregated  thou- 
sands, whilst  he  should  have  to  content  himself  by  preaching  to 
units,  or  at  most  tens,  under  a  tropical  sky  in  Africa ;  implying, 
at  the  same  time,  that  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sphere  of  religious  influ- 
ence was  a  hundred  times  greater  than  that  of  the  great  and  good 
traveller. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  has  often  been  invited  to  lecture  in  this  country, 
but  had  always  declined.  The  managers  of  the  Redpath  Lyceum 
Bureau  having  noticed  a  paragraph  in  the  Boston  papers  stating 
that  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  about  to  visit  the  United  States,  enclosed 
it  to  him,  and  wrote  as  follows :  — 

DosTOX,  Mass.,  June  22,  1876. 

Dear  Sir,  —  Is  the  above  paragraph  true?  We  have  tried  so 
long  and  so  hard  for  many  years  to  secure  you  that  we  thought  it 
impossible,  and  long  since  gave  up  all  hope.  We  are  the  exclu- 
sive agents  of  all  the  leading  lecturers  in  America.  We  will  give 
vou  a  thousand  dollars  in  gold  for  e\'ery  lecture  you  deliv'er  in 
America,  and  pay  all  your  expenses  to  and  from  your  home,  and 
place  you  under  the  most  popular  auspices  in  the  country.  Will 
you  come? 


ABUNDANT    IN    LABORS.  69 

To  this  invitation  Mr.  Spurgeon  returned  the  following  reply:  — 

Clapham,  London,  Eng.,  July  6. 
Gentlemen,  —  I  cannot  imagine  how  such  a  paragraph  should 
appear  in  your  papers,  except  by  deliberate  invention  of  a  hard-up 
editor,  for  I  never  had  any  idea  of  leaving  home  for  America  for 
some  time  to  come.  As  I  said  to  you  before,  if  I  could  come,  I 
am  not  a  lecturer,  tior  zvoiild  I  receive  money  for  preacJiing. 

In  the  year  1857  Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  two  sermons,  —  one 
in  the  ordinary  course  of  his  ministrations,  the  other  on  a  special 
occasion,  —  both  of  which  commanded  a  sale  of  more  than  a  hun- 
dred thousand  copies.  The  first,  preached  in  the  autumn,  was 
entitled  "  India's  Ills  and  England's  Sorrows,"  and  had  reference 
to  the  mutiny  in  India.  The  second  was  preached  in  the  Crys- 
tal Palace  at  Sydenham  on  the  fast  day  relating  to  the  war  in 
India,  when  probably  not  less  than  twenty  thousand  formed  the 
preacher's  audience. 

It  will  doubtless  interest  many  to  learn  something  of  the  per- 
sonal appearance  of  the  "preacher  as  he  stood  before  that  vast 
audience.  One  who  had  some  skill  in  depicting  natural  life  wrote 
of  him  as  follows :  — 

"  He  is  of  medium  height,  at  present  quite  stout,  has  a  round 
and  beardless  face,  not  a  high  forehead,  dark  hair,  parted  in  the 
centre  of  the  head.  His  appearance  in  the  pulpit  may  be  said  to 
be  interesting  rather  than  commanding.  He  betrays  his  youth, 
and  still  wears  a  boyish  countenance.  His  figure  is  awkward,  — 
his  manners  are  plain,  —  his  face  (except  when  illumined  by  a 
smile)  is  admitted  to  be  heavy.  His  voice  seems  to  be  the  only 
personal  instrument  he  possesses,  by  which  he  is  enabled  to  ac- 
quire such  a  marvellous  power  over  the  minds  and  hearts  of  his 
hearers.  His  voice  is  powerful,  rich,  melodious,  and  under  perfect 
control.  Twelve  thousand  have  distinctly  heard  every  sentence 
he  uttered  in  the  open  air,  and  this  powerful  instrument  carried 
his  burning  words  to  an  audience  of  twenty  thousand  gathered  in 
the  Crystal  Palace.  '  Soon  as  he  commences  to  speak,'  says  an 
I-'nglish  critic,  *  tones  of  richest  melody  are  heard.  A  voice,  full, 
sweet,   and   musical,   falls   on   every  ear,   and    awakens    agreeable 


;o  LIKE    AND    LABORS    OF    C.    IL    Sl'URCEOX. 

cnn)tions  in  every  soul  in  which  there  is  a  synipathv'  for  sounds. 
That  most  excellent  of  voices  is  under  perfect  control,  and  can 
whisper  or  thunder  at  the  wish  of  its  possessor.  Then  there  is 
poetry  in  every  feature  and  every  movement,  as  well  as  music  in 
the  voice.  The  countenance  speaks,  the  entire  form  sympathizes. 
The  action  is  in  complete  unison  with  the  sentiments,  and  the  eye 
listens  scarcely  less  than  the  ear  to  the  sweetly  flowing  orator}-.' 
To  the  influence  of  this  powerful  voice,  he  adds  that  of  a  manner 
characterized  by  great  freedom  and  fearlessness,  intensely  earnest, 
and  strikingly  natural.  When  to  these  we  add  the  influence  of 
thrilling  description,  touching  anecdote,  sparkling  wit,  startling 
episodes,  striking  similes,  all  used  to  illustrate  and  enforce  the 
deep,  earnest  home-truths  of  the  Bible,  we  surely  have  a  combi- 
nation of  elements  which  must  make  up  a  preacher  of  wonderful 
attraction  and  of  marvellous  power." 

Amidst  his  incessant  duties  and  almost  daily  journeys  and  ser- 
mons, the  devoted  pastor  still  found  time  to  give  instruction  to  the 
young  men  he  kept  under  his  careful  ministry.  With  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  it  was  work  almost  night  and  day,  and  all  day  long,  with  but 
little  intermission,  for  several  years  in  succession.  The  germs  of 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Pastors'  College  were  never  absent  from 
his  mind,  and  frequently  occupied  his  attention  when  in  London. 
In  1857  the  first  student  was  sent  out  in  charge  of  a  church;  in 
1858  Mr.  Silverton  went  forth;  in  1859  Mr.  Davies  and  Mr.  Gen- 
ders followed,  both  of  whom  have  left  their  mark  on  society. 

On  Jan.  i,  1865,  appeared  the  first  number  of  "The  Sword  and 
the  Trowel;  "  a  record  of  combat  with  sin,  and  labor  for  the  Lord. 
It  had  an  ornamental  cover  representing  a  Jewish  doorway  of 
stone,  and  beyond  and  within  were  seen  the  zealous  Jews  at  work 
rebuilding  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  the  sword  in  one  hand,  the 
trowel  in  the  other.  The  work  was  so  wisely  planned,  and  it  has 
been  so  ably  conducted,  that  it  now  occupies  a  prominent,  if  not 
a  foremost  place  amongst  the  periodical  literature  of  the  land, 
and  has  a  circulation  of  several  thousand  copies  monthly,  with  a 
steady  advancement. 

Besides  the  other  works  daily  undertaken  by  Mr.  Spurgeon 
himself,  and  all  his  journeys  in  the  country  to  preach  special  ser- 


ABUNDANT   IN   LABORS.  7 1 

mons,  he  found  time  to  write  no  less  than  nineteen  articles  for  the 
first  year's  volume  of  his  magazine.  At  the  end  of  the  year  the 
Editor  was  ill  at  home,  but  he  informed  his  friends,  throuL^h  the 
magazine,  that  he  had  finished  writing  his  new  book,  "  Morning 
by  Morning,"  by  which  means  he  hoped  to  hold  hallowed  com- 
munion with  thousands  of  families  all  over  the  world,  every  morn- 
ing, at  the  family  altar.  He  has  since  added  to  it  a  companion 
volume,  "  Evening  by  Evening,"  both  of  which  works  have  had  a 
large  sale,  which  is  steadily  on  the  increase.  Amongst  his  articles 
in  1865  were  two  poems,  one  entitled  "The  Fall  of  Jericho;"  the 
other  will  find  a  fitting  place  in  these  pages.  It  was  written  while 
on  a  visit  to  Hull,  in  Yorkshire,  during  the  summer:  — 

MARRIED    LOVE  — TO    MY   WIFE. 

Over  the  space  that  parts  us,  my  wife, 

I  MI  cast  me  a  bridge  of  song. 
Our  hearts  shall  meet,  O  joy  of  my  life, 

On  its  arch  unseen,  but  strong. 

The  wooer  his  new  love's  name  may  wear 

Engraved  on  a  precious  stone  ; 
But  in  my  heart  thine  image  I  wear, 

That  heart  has  long  been  thine  own. 

The  glowing  colors  on  surface  laid. 

Wash  out  in  a  shower  of  rain  ; 
Thou  need'st  not  be  of  rivers  afraid. 

For  my  love  is  dyed  ingrain. 

And  as  every  drop  of  Garda's  lake 

Is  tinged  with  sapphire's  blue, 
So  all  the  powers  of  my  mind  partake 

Of  joy  at  the  thought  of  you. 

The  glittering  dewdrops  of  dawning  love 

Exhale  as  the  day  grows  old. 
And  fondness,  taking  the  wings  of  a  dove, 

Is  gone  like  a  tale  of  old. 

But  mine  for  thee,  from  the  chambers  of  joy, 

With  strength  came  forth  as  the  sun, 
Nor  life  nor  death  shall  its  force  destroy, 

Forever  its  course  shall  run. 


^2  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

All  earth-born  love  must  sleep  in  the  grave, 

To  its  native  dust  return  ; 
What  God  hath  kindled  shall  death  out-brave, 

And  in  heaven  itself  shall  burn. 

Beyond  and  above  the  wedlock  tie 

Our  union  to  Christ  we  feel  ; 
Uniting  bonds  which  were  made  on  high, 

Shall  hold  us  when  earth  shall  reel. 

Though  He  who  chose  us  all  worlds  before, 
Must  reign  in  our  hearts  alone, 

We  fondly  believe  that  we  shall  adore 
7£»^^///^r  before  His  throne. 


VI. 

REVIVALS 


Just  as  the  birds,  when  the  eggs  are  in  the  nest,  have  upon  them  a  natural 
feeling  that  they  must  sit  on  those  eggs,  and  that  they  must  feed  those  little 
fledglings  which  will  come  from  them  ;  so  if  God  calls  you  to  win  soyls,  you 
will  have  a  natural  love  for  them,  a  longing  wrought  in  you  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
so  that  the  whole  force  of  your  being  will  run  out  it  that  direction,  seeking  the 
salvation  of  men.  —  C.  H.  Spurgeox. 


REVIVALS. 


DURING  the  year  1865  Mr.  Spurgeon  held  in  the  Tabernacle 
united  meetings  for  prayer  through  one  entire  week,  attended 
by  over  six  thousand  persons,  which  were  a  source  of  so  much 
blessing  to  those  attending  them,  that  a  second  series  followed  a 
month  later. 

Conscious  of  the  power  of  prayer,  the  pastor  commenced  the 
year  1866  with  a  month's  continuous  revival  services,  at  which 
one  hundred  and  twenty  ministers  and  students  were  present. 
Knowing  that  he  should  have  the  sympathy  and  co-operation  of 
his  church  in  conducting  them,  in  September  the  whole  church 
had  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer. 

An  important  work,  which  had  for  a  long  time  occupied  Mr. 
Spurgeon's  attention,  was  brought  out  this  year,  under  the  title 
of  "  Our  Own  Hymn  Book."  The  preparation  of  a  new  collec- 
tion of  psalms  and  hymns  for  congregational  use  was  felt  to  be 
an  urgent  necessity,  but  there  was  a  nervous  fear  about  the  suc- 
cess of  such  a  work.  It  was  prepared  with  great  care,  and  no 
pains  were  spared  to  make  it  complete  in  every  respect,  giving 
correct  text,  author's  name  to  each  hymn,  with  date  of  first  pub- 
lication, and  other  interesting  particulars  in  the  large  edition  of 
the  book.  The  public  at  once  saw  the  value  of  the  collection, 
and  since  that  time  it  has  had  a  very  large  sale,  having  been 
adopted  by  and  is  now  in  use  in  scores  if  not  hundreds  of  con- 
gregations. 

As  a  student  of  the  times  in  which  Puritanism  began  to  take 
hold  of  the  mind  of  the  English  people,  Mr.  Spurgeon  knew  how 


^6  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPUKGEON. 

i^reat  a  work  was  accomplished  by  the  Nonconformists  by  book- 
hawking.  He  had  learned  by  several  visits  to  Scotland  how  useful 
and  valuable  that  agency  was  in  the  north  of  England.  He  there- 
fore, in  January,  1866,  issued  a  circular  stating  his  intention  to 
establish  a  system  of  colportage,  by  which  his  sermons  and  other 
works  of  a  moral  and  religious  character  might  be  more  widely 
distributed.  At  first  it  was  intended  to  be  confined  to  London 
and  the  neglected  villages  and  small  country  towns  around,  where 
access  to  religious  literature  was  difficult.  The  result  of  the 
appeal  made  in  January  led  to  the  formation  of  The  Colportage 
ASS0CL\TI0N  in  October,  which  has  ever  since  been  one  of  the 
important  agencies  of  the  Tabernacle,  and  which  is  every  year 
increasing  its  operations  and  usefulness.  It  employs  colporteurs, 
whose  whole  time  is  directed  to  the  work,  and  who  are  paid  a 
moderate  salary ;  also  book  agents,  who  are  constantly  delivering 
books  to  purchasers,  for  which  service  they  receive  a  liberal  dis- 
count on  sales,  and  by  which  they  are  enabled  to  make  a  satis- 
factory living.  The  wisdom  of  the  course  taken  by  Mr.  Spurgeon 
in  this  matter  has  since  been  abundantly  demonstrated.  That 
association  has  been  a  blessing  to  thousands. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  feeling  abroad  which  manifested  itself 
in  several  articles  in  public  papers,  and  notably  in  a  New  York 
religious  weekly,  that  Mr.  Spurgeon,  by  means  of  his  College 
and  the  large  number  of  new  chapels  being  erected  all  over  the 
land  for  his  students,  was  aiming  at  founding  a  sect,  after  the 
example  of  Wesley.  So  soon  as  this  notion  reached  Mr.  Spur- 
geon, he  took  the  earliest  opportunity  of  repudiating  the  idea. 
In  a  short  article  entitled  "  Spurgeonism,"  he  thus  records  his 
views :  — 

"There  is  no  wor5  in  the  world  so  hateful  to  our  heart  as  that 
word  Spurgeonism,  and  no  thought  further  from  our  soul  than 
that  of  forming  a  new  sect.  Our  course  has  been,  and  we  hope 
ever  will  be,  an  independent  one ;  but  to  charge  us  with  separat- 
ing from  the  general  organization  of  the  religious  world,  and  even 
of  the  Baptist  denomination,  is  to  perpetrate  an  unfounded  libel. 
We  preach  no  new  gospel,  we  desire  no  new  objects,  and  follow 
them  in  no  novel  spirit.     We  love  Christ  better  than  a  sect,  and 


REVIVALS.  TJ 

truth  better  than  a  party,  and  so  far  are  not  denominational ;  but 
we  are  in  open  union  with  the  Baptists  for  the  very  reason  that 
we  cannot  endure  isolation.  He  who  searches  all  hearts  knows 
that  our  aim  and  object  is  not  to  gather  a  band  around  self,  but  to 
unite  a  company  around  the  Saviour.  '  Let  my  name  perish,  but 
let  Christ's  name  last  for  ever,'  said  George  Whitfield ;  and  so  has 
Charles  Spurgeon  said  a  hundred  times.  We  aid  and  assist  the 
Baptist  churches  to  the  full  extent  of  our  power,  although  we  do 
not  restrict  our  energies  to  them  alone,  and  in  this  those  churches 
are  far  enough  from  blaming  us.  Our  joy  and  rejoicing  is  great 
in  the  fellowship  of  all  believers,  and  the  forming  of  a  fresh  sect 
is  work  which  we  leave  to  the  devil,  whom  it  befits  far  more  than 
ourselves.  It  is  true  that  it  has  long  been  in  our  power  to  com- 
mence a  new  denomination,  but  it  is  not  true  that  it  has  ever  been 
contemplated  by  us  or  our  friends.  We  desire  as  much  as  possible 
to  work  with  the  existing  agencies,  and  when  we  commence  new 
ones  our  friends  must  believe  that  it  is  with  no  idea  of  organizing 
a  fresh  community." 

The  closing  days  of  the  year  1866  Mr.  Spurgeon  spent  in 
Paris,  in  a  successful  effort  to  get  the  Baptist  church  in  that  city 
brought  out  of  an  obscure  corner,  in  which  property  could  not  be 
respected,  into  a  place  of  prominence,  where  there  was  hope  of  its 
becoming  known  and  being  useful.  This  effort  had  long  exercised 
the  mind  of  Pastor  Spurgeon,  and  he  had  the  joy  of  seeing  the 
work  he  aimed  at  fully  accomplished.  He  spent  his  Christmas 
in.  Paris,  getting  rest  for  himself  and  doing  a  good  work  for  the 
Parisians. 

Reinvigorated  by  h's  short  trip  to  the  Continent,  he  returned  to 
his  duties  at  the  Tabernacle  with  renewed  energy  and  a  stronger 
faith,  having  gained  fresh  courage  from  his  success  in  France. 

The  month  of  February,  1867,  witnessed  the  usual  week  of 
prayer,  which  that  year  was  marked,  on  the  i8th,  by  a  whole  day 
of  fasting  and  prayer,  commencing  at  seven  in  the  morning  and 
continuing,  without  a  pause  or  breaking  up  for  meals,  until  nine  at 
night  —  a  day  of  prayer  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  was  manifestly 
present  all  day.  The  account  of  the  services  held  during  that 
week  reads  like  a  new  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 


78  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

The  readiness  with  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  can  adapt  himself  to 
his  audience,  whether  that  audience  consists  of  the  educated  or 
affluent,  the  poor  or  the  ignorant,  was  never  more  distinctly 
seen  than  when,  in  the  EvangeHsts'  Tabernacle,  Golden  Lane, 
City,  he  preached  to  a  congregation  of  costermongers.  Mr.  Ors- 
man,  the  missionary  there,  had  distributed  tickets  among  the 
street  dealers  in  Whitecross  Street,  so  as  to  secure  the  class  for 
whom  the  service  was  intended.  An  amusing  article  might  be 
written  to  describe  the  singular  variety  of  countenances  and  call- 
ings of  those  present.  The  hymns  were  heartily  sung;  the  prayer 
won  the  hearts  of  the  audience  when  Mr.  Spurgeon  offered  sup- 
plication for  those  who  had  bodily  aches  and  pains,  and  whose 
poverty  deprived  them  of  many  desired  comforts ;  many  deep 
sighs  followed  those  prayers.  The  sermon  was  preached  from  St. 
John  iv.  15,  and  it  was  illustrated  by  allusions  to  the  habits  and 
manner  of  life  of  his  congregation,  whose  acuteness  relished  the 
anecdotes  and  homely  hits  which  the  preacher  so  freely  used.  A 
costermonger's  living  depends  much  upon  his  voice.  After  the 
service  the  costers  were  free  in  their  comments  on  the  preacher's 
voice,  which  was  described  as  "Wot  a  woice !  "  "Wonderful!" 
"  Stunnin'  !"  "I  never!"  "Would  make  a  fine  coster!"  &c. 
After  the  sermon  about  two  hundred  remained  to  be  prayed  with, 
and  much  spiritual  good  was  done  that  night. 

Six  years  having  elapsed  since  the  Tabernacle  was  opened,  the 
building  had  suffered  much  from  the  massive  congregations  which 
had  assembled  there,  and  it  became  necessary  to  close  it  for  several 
weeks  for  repairs.  During  that  period  Mr.  Spurgeon  preached 
to  immense  congregations  in  the  Agricultural  Hall,  Islington. 
The  first  of  the  five  special  services  was  held  on  Sunday,  March 
24,  1867,  when  about  twelve  thousand  persons  were  present.  The 
preacher's  delivery  was  slow,  measured,  and  emphatic ;  nothing 
labored ;  and  his  voice  lost  none  of  its  accustomed  music.  Many 
thousands  heard  the  gospel  at  that  time  who  were  not  accustomed 
to  attend  any  place  of  worship.  More  than  twenty  thousand 
were  in  attendance  on  the  final  day. 

The  heavy  responsibilities  which  rested  on  the  pastor  of  the 
Tabernacle  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  made  it  necessary  for  him 


REVIVALS  ^Q 


to  seek  a  little  recreation,  and  with  that  he  blended  a  friendly 
service  for  his  esteemed  friend  Pastor  Oncken,  by  preaching  for 
him  at  the  opening  of  his  new  Baptist  church  at  Hamburg. 
He  included  in  his  travels  a  visit  to  Heligoland,  which  furnished 
for  his  ready  and  fertile  pen  most  interesting  matter  for  an  article, 
which  contains  information  both  curious  and  valuable  not  to  be 
found  elsewhere. 


So 


LU-K   AM)    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    Sl>UR(JEON. 


PSVI.M    XXX. 

I  WILL  exalt  Tlice,  Lord  of  hosts, 

For  Thou  'st  exulted  me  ; 
Since  Thou  h:ist  silenced  Satan's  boasts, 

I  'II  therefore  boast  ni  Thee. 

My  sins  had  brought  mc  near  the  grave. 

The  jjrave  of  black  desp  lir  : 
I  looked,  but  there  was  none  to  save 

Till  I  looked  up  in  prayer. 

In  answer  to  my  piteous  cries. 

From  hell's  dark  brink  Vn\  brouj,iit: 

My  Jesus  saw  me  from  the  skies, 
And  swift  salvation  wrought. 

All  through  the  night  I  we:it  full  sore, 

But  morning  brought  relief; 
That  hand  which  broke  my  bones  before, 

Then  broke  my  bonds  of  grief. 

My  mourning  He  to  dancing  turns. 
For  sackcloth  'y>y  He  gives: 

A  moment.  Lord,  Thine  anger  burns, 
But  long  Thy  favor  lives. 

Sing  with  me  then,  ye  favored  men, 
Who  long  have  known  His  grace  ; 

With  thanks  recall  the  seasons  when 
Ye  also  sought  His  face. 


C.   H.   Si'URGEON. 


VII. 
MULTIPLYING   WORK 


We  must  ourselves  drink  of  the  living  water  till  we  are  full,  and  then  out  of 
the  midst  of  us  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water;  but  not  till  then.  Out  of  an 
empty  basket  you  cannot  distribute  loaves  and  fishes,  however  hungry  the 
crowd  may  be.  Out  of  an  empty  heart  you  cannot  speak  full  things,  nor  from 
a  lean  soul  bring  forth  fat  things  full  of  marrow,  nor  from  a  dead  heart  impart 
life.     Be  blest,  that  ye  may  bless.  —  C.  H.  Spurgeon 


MULTIPLYING   WORK. 


RETURNING  home,  the  industrious  pastor  found  abundance 
of  important  work  awaiting  him.  During  the  April  pre- 
vious the  land  had  been  secured  at  Stockwell  for  the  ORPHAN 
Houses.  The  work  of  preparation  for  their  erection  had  been 
so  far  advanced  that  a  great  festival  was  arranged,  and  on  Mon- 
day, September  9,  1867,  a  party  of  some  four  thousand  persons 
assembled  at  Stockwell,  a  large  proportion  of  the  company  being 
collectors ;  and  it  was  part  of  the  programme  for  the  foundation- 
stones  of  three  of  the  houses  to  be  laid,  and  for  the  numerous 
collectors  to  lay  on  the  stones  their  respective  contributions.  It 
was  an  auspicious  day  for  Mr.  Spurgeon,  for  his  deacons  and 
church-members.  A  widely  extended  interest  had  been  felt  in 
the  work,  and  the  occasion  became  a  grand  holiday  in  that 
southern  suburb  of  London.  Three  of  the  houses  were  thus  far 
advanced  in  their  progress,  namely,  the  Silver  Wedding  House, 
the  Merchants'  House,  and  the  Workmen's  House.  The  united 
sums  the  collectors  laid  upon  the  stones  amounted  to  eleven  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  entire  spectacle  was  both  novel  and  touching. 
Prayers  were  offered  on  the  occasion,  the  influence  of  which  it  is 
believed  will  be  felt  throughout  all  time.  Appropriate  hymns 
were  sung,  each  ceremony  being  conducted  with  verses  specially 
prepared,  the  first  of  which  was  as  follows :  — 

Accept,  O  Lord,  the  jjrateful  love 
Which  yield.s  thi.s  house  to  Thee  ; 

And  on  the  Silver  Wedding  House 
Let  Ijlessinji.s  ever  be. 


84  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

It  was  announced  at  the  close  of  the  ceremony  that  in  addition 
to  the  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  given  by  Mrs.  Hillyard,  the 
money  in  hand  was  then  twenty-seven  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars.  The  assembly  returned  home  highly  delighted  with  the 
service  and  the  glad  tidings  they  had  heard,  whilst  the  pastor, 
worn  out  with  fatigue  and  anxiety,  retired  home  to  rest. 

The  mental  and  physical  strain  of  such  heavy  responsibilities 
was  too  much  for  Mr.  Spurgeon,  who  was  soon  after  laid  aside 
quite  ill.  Although  physically  prostrate,  his  mind  was  in  active 
exercise ;  and  after  being  a  sufferer  for  two  months,  he  wrote  an 
article  for  his  magazine  entitled,  "  On  my  Back,"  in  which  he  sub- 
missively said,  that  after  two  months  of  ill  health  and  severe  pain, 
yet  he  believed  there  was  a  limit  to  sickness,  and  that  Jesus  knew 
all  about  it,  feeling  assured  that  the  design  of  sickness  was  divinely 
good.  This  long  absence  from  the  pulpit  led  to  the  appointment 
of  his  brother,  James  Archer  Spurgeon,  as  co-pastor  to  the  church 
at  the  Tabernacle,  and  he  officially  entered  on  those  duties  in 
January,  1868. 

Although  the  year  1868  did  not  furnish  occasion  for  such  impor- 
tant events  as  the  preceding  one,  yet  was  there  much  earnest  work 
done  by  Mr.  Spurgeon  at  his  Tabernacle.  Not  able  to  do  so  much 
physical  work,  he  used  his  pen  very  freely.  He  wrote  two  articles 
for  his  magazine  to  advocate  the  claims  of  the  Colportage  Associ- 
ation. In  March  he  delivered  at  the  Tabernacle  a  lecture  on  "Our 
History  and  Work,"  with  Mr.  VV.  McArthur,  M.P.,  in  the  chair. 
He  also  wrote  an  interesting  article  relating  incidents  in  the  life  of 
his  grandfather.  In  the  month  of  May  he  preached  the  Sermon 
to  Young  Men  at  Mr.  Martin's  Chapel,  Westminster,  on  behalf  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society,  —  a  service  rendered  the  more 
cheerfully,  remembering,  as  he  did,  the  prophetic  words  of  good 
Richard  Knill,  that  he  would  preach  in  the  largest  chapel  in  Lon- 
don. That  was  probably  the  largest  chapel  he  had  preached  in, 
excepting  his  own.  During  the  same  month  he  spoke  at  the 
Breakfast  Meeting  of  the  Congregational  Union. 

In  the  month  of  March  a  generous  friend  sent  to  the  pastor 
five  thousand  dollars  for  the  College  and  five  thousand  dollars  for 
the    Orphanage,  —  such    instances    of  liberality    amply   testifying 


James  Archer  Spurgeon,  Co-Pastor. 


MULTIPLYING   WORK.  85 

the  high  estimation  in  which  the  noble  enterprises  of  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  were  held  by  the  public.  On  his  birthday,  June  19th,  a 
great  meeting  was  held,  and  liberal  contributions  made  for  the 
Orphanage. 

Bright  as  are  these  spots  in  the  life  of  the  pastor,  and  in  his 
work  at  the  Tabernacle  and  its  belongings,  yet  there  hung  over 
his  home  all  the  time  a  dark  shadow  which  Divine  Providence  saw 
fit  to  place  there.  Mrs.  Spurgeon  had  long  been  a  great  sufferer, 
and  to  alleviate  her  sorrows,  if  possible,  a  very  painful  operation 
had  to  be  undertaken.  The  most  skilful  surgeons  of  the  land  were 
engaged,  under  the  direction  of  Sir  James  Simpson,  of  Edinburgh, 
Prayer  was  made  for  her  by  the  whole  church,  and,  by  the  blessing 
of  God,  the  operation  was  so  far  successful  that  her  sufferings  were 
alleviated  and  her  life  prolonged ;  but  it  has  been  a  life  of  pain  and 
weakness,  though  with  less  of  anguish. 

A  gratifying  fact  is  recorded  by  Mr.  Spurgeon  this  year,  who 
publicly  acknowledges  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Palfrey,  of  Finsbury 
Square,  for  his  gratuitous  and  generous  professional  attendance 
on  the  poor  members  of  the  Tabernacle. 

At  Christmastide,  and  at  the  opening  of  the  year,  the  claims 
of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  benevolent  agencies  were  remembered  by  his 
many  friends,  who  sent  him  of  their  worldly  substance  with  gen- 
erous hands,  so  that  he  commences  the  first  number  of  "  The 
Sword  and  the  Trowel"  for  1869  with  a  most  jubilant  note:  "Bless 
the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  " 

He  also  made  the  announcement  that  a  gentleman  in  Australia 
had  written  to  say  he.  intended  to  reprint  his  sermons  weekly  in 
that  far-off  land,  to  give  them  a  yet  wider  circulation. 

From  the  very  commencement  of  his  ministry  strange  tales  had 
been  put  into  circulation  by  his  detractors,  most  of  which  Mr. 
Spurgeon  passed  by  in  silence.  Several  very  ludicrous  speeches 
were  attributed  to  him  soon  after  he  became  popular  in  London. 
In  the  midst  of  his  work,  at  the  opening  of  the  year  1869,  the 
voice  of  the  slanderer  was  again  heard,  and  many  were  troubling 
the  busy  pastor  to  know  how  true  were  the  statements  in  circu- 
lation respecting  him.  In  reply  to  all  these,  under  the  head  of 
"  Silly  Tales,"  he  wrote  in   his  magazine :   "  Friends  who  write  us 


86  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF    C.    H.    Sl'lRCEON. 

about  sill}'  talcs  may  save  themselves  the  trouble.  We  have  been 
enabled  in  our  ministry  and  in  our  walk  before  God  so  to  act, 
through  grace,  that  we  have  given  no  occasion  for  the  slanderers, 
save  only  that  we  have  kept  the  faith,  and  been  very  jealous  for 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  Many  of  the  absurd  stories  still  retailed 
everywhere  arc  the  very  same  libels  which  were  repeated  concern- 
ing Rowland  Hill  and  others  long  gone  to  their  rest."  This  reply 
will  serve  its  purpose  in  after  years  as  well  as  now. 

Having  seen  much  of  the  folly  too  frequently  exhibited  at  funer- 
als, he  published  his  views,  with  the  apt  title,  "  Funerals ;  or,  a 
Black  Business,"  in  which,  after  exposing  the  folly  of  using  feath- 
ers and  gold-headed  sticks  in  carrying  a  dead  body  to  the  grave, 
he  observes :  "  I  would  sooner  be  eaten  by  crows  than  have  pride 
and  pomp  feeding  on  my  little  savings,  which  are  meant  for  my 
bereaved  wife  and  children,  and  not  for  unsuitable,  untimely,  and 
unholy  show.  I  have  heard  that  more  than  four  millions  of  money 
are  squandered  every  year  in  funeral  fopperies.  The  money  buys 
or  hires  silk  scarfs,  brass  nails,  feathers  for  horses,  kid  gloves  and 
gin  for  the  mutes,  and  white  satin  and  black  cloth  for  the  worms. 
It  seems  to  me  to  be  mighty  fine  nonsense,  more  for  the  pride  of 
the  living  than  the  honor  of  the  dead,  more  for  the  profit  of  the 
undertaker  than  any  one  else." 

In  June  of  that  year  the  first  report  of  the  Orphanage  Avas  issued, 
which  plainly  set  forth  how  earnestl}"  the  work  had  been  carried  on 
for  it  in  having  the  houses  erected  and  in  getting  them  furnished 
and  occupied.  Twenty-nine  boys  were  then  in  residence,  one  of 
whom  was  the  son  of  one  of  the  workmen  who  had  assisted  in 
building  the  w'orkmen's  house,  the  father  having  died  after  the 
house  was  erected. 

Taking  a  short  lioliday  in  July,  Mr.  Spurgeon,  accompanied  by 
a  friend,  climbed  the  summit  of  Hindhead,  in  the  South  of  Eng- 
land, then  paid  a  brief  visit  to  the  Continent.  Soon  after  his 
return  home,  in  October,  he  was  entirely  laid  aside  from  pas- 
toral work  by  a  slight  attack  of  small-pox.  His  friends  became 
seriously  anxious  about  him,  and  special  prayer  was  made  again 
and  again  for  his  recovery.  It  came  slowly,  but  in  anticipation 
thereof  the  first   article  in  the  magazine  for  November  was  "  A 


MULTIPLYING   WORK.  •       8/ 

Sermon  from  a  Sick  Preacher."  Possessed  of  such  mighty  faith 
in  God,  and  with  such  indomitable  courage,  Pastor  Spurgeon  finds 
opportunities  for  doing  good,  and  does  it,  whilst  others  are  con- 
sidering what  had  best  be  done.  He  even  wrote  directions  "  How 
to  bear  Affliction." 

During  the  progress  of  his  recovery  he  wrote  a  New  Year's  Let- 
ter to  his  ministering  brethren,  which  commences  his  magazine  for 
1870,  in  which,  with  much  affectionate  earnestness,  he  urges  them, 
even  by  special  means,  if  ordinary  ones  fail,  to  aim  at  the  salvation 
of  the  souls  of  their  congregations,  enforcing  this  duty  upon  them 
by  the  example  of  the  Ritualists,  who  are  zealous,  working  to 
spread  their  delusions,  especially  amongst  the  poor,  with  whom 
they  know  how  to  succeed  by  bribes  of  bread  and  clothing.  He 
says  he  writes  as  a  sick  man,  but  feels  the  urgency  and  importance 
of  soul-winning. 

The  prostrate  condition  of  the  pastor's  health  for  nearly  three 
months  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  appeal  with  his  pen  for  the 
aid  of  his  friends  in  sustaining  the  benevolent  works  of  the  Taber- 
nacle. In  March,  1870,  his  appeal  took  the  following  form:  "The 
pastorate  of  a  church  of  four  thousand  members,  the  direction  of 
all  its  agencies,  the  care  of  many  churches  arising  from  the  Col- 
lege work ;  the  selection,  education,  and  guidance  in  their  settle- 
ments of  the  students;  the  oversight  of  the  Orphanage,  the  editing 
of  a  magazine,  the  production  of  numerous  volumes,  the  publica- 
tion of  a  weekly  sermon,  an  immense  correspondence,  a  fair  share 
in  public  and  denominational  action,  and  many  other  labors,  be- 
sides the  incessant  preaching  of  the  Word,  give  us  a  right  to  ask 
of  our  friends  that  we  be  not  allowed  to  have  an  anxious  thought 
about  the  funds  needed  for  our  enterprises." 

This  remarkable  picture  of  energy  and  activity  will  scarcely  be 
surpassed  by  any  man  living,  if  indeed  it  can  be  equalled  by  more 
than  one  in  a  million,  even  in  this  industrious  age.  But  there  were 
other  duties  pressing  on  Mr.  Spurgeon's  mind,  at  the  time,  which 
he  could  not  throw  off.  For  some  months  previously  a  contro- 
versy had  been  warmly  carried  on  in  the  columns  of  the  "Christian 
World  "  newspaper,  advocating  a  curious  system  of  future  pun- 
ishment ending  in  annihilation.     The  editor  of  the  paper  prohib- 


b8  Lll-E   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    II.    SPURGEON. 

ited  in  his  columns  the  pubhcation  of  any  letters  on  the  oppo- 
site side,  excepting  only  what  Mr.  Spurgeon  might  write.  Mr. 
Spurgeon  wrote  to  the  editor,  pointing  out  that  his  conduct 
was  not  quite  frank,  and  declining  on  his  part  to  help  the  agi- 
tation, telling  him  that  the  words  of  our  Lord  —  "These  shall 
go  away  into  everlasting  punishment"  —  finally  settled  the  point; 
and  he  held  that  the  publication  of  views  which  are  opposed 
to  that  declaration,  and  the  views  themselves,  were  equally 
dangerous. 

Greatly  have  the  funds  of  the  College  been  aided  by  the  lec- 
tures which  its  President  has  given  from  time  to  time  on  its  behalf. 
After  one  of  his  visits  to  Italy  Mr.  Spurgeon  delivered  a  very 
interesting  and  lively  lecture  on  "  Rome,  and  what  I  saw  and 
heard  there."  Some  of  the  reporters  for  the  daily  press  —  not  a 
few  of  whom'  are  Jesuits  —  misrepresented  some  very  material 
portions  of  the  lecture  in  their  abridged  account.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
was  obliged  to  defend  himself;  and  what  he  said  against  such 
insidious  foes  in  the  pages  of  his  own  magazine  led  to  another 
kindred  topic  being  brought  before  the  public  about  the  same 
time,  when  these  same  reporters  misled  the  public  mind  by  apply- 
ing to  King  Victor  Immanuel  of  Italy  a  prayer  which  belonged 
only  to  Immanuel,  Victor  over  sin,  the  man  Christ  Jesus. 

In  May,  1870,  Mr.  Spurgeon  sent  forth  a  new  work  entitled 
"  Feathers  for  Arrows,"  intended  to  supply  preachers  and  teach- 
ers with  useful  material  for  filling  up  their  sermons,  lectures,  and 
addresses.  Ten  thousand  copies  of  the  book  were  sold  in  three 
months. 

The  public  mind  was  considerably  agitated  at  that  time  by  the 
action  of  the  School  Board  in  reference  to  religious  teaching  in 
their  schools ;  some  wanting  to  exclude  the  reading  of  the  Bible 
from  them,  and  so  deprive  the  upgrowing  po{.ulation  of  the  use 
of  the  best  book  in  the  language.  A  large  meeting  was  held  in 
Exeter  Hall,  in  July,  in  defence  of  the  Bible  being  daily  read  in 
elementary  schools.  Mr.  Spurgeon  took  the  chair  on  the  occa- 
sion. The  result  of  the  meeting  was,  the  Bible  retains  its  place 
as  a  daily  school  book.  The  wisdom  of  the  decision  then  made 
has  been  abundantly  manifested  since,  and  especially  so  by  the 


MULTIPLYING   WORK.  89 

great  gathering  of  Board-School  children  in  the  Crystal  Palace  in 
July,  1877,  when  some  thousands  of  prizes  were  publicly  given  to 
the  pupils  for  proficiency  in  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  and  when  it 
was  most  convincingly  shown  that  parents  in  London  (excepting 
only  a  few  Jews)  do  not  object  to  their  children  being  taught  daily 
from  the  Word  of  God. 


go  LI^E   AND    LABORS    OF    C.    H.    SPURGEON. 


PSALM  XXXIX. 

Behold,  O  Lord,  my  days  are  made 

A  handbreadth  at  the  most ; 
Ere  yet  'tis  noon  my  flower  must  fade, 

And  I  give  up  the  ghost. 

Then  teach  me,  Lord,  to  know  mine  end. 

And  know  that  I  am  frail ; 
To  Heaven  let  all  my  thoughts  ascend, 

And  let  not  Earth  prevail. 

What  is  there  here  that  I  should  wait  ? 

My  hope  's  in  Thee  alone. 
When  wilt  Thou  open  glory's  gate. 

And  call  me  to  Thy  Throne  ? 

A  stranger  in  this  land  am  I, 

A  sojourner  with  Thee  : 
Oh,  be  not  silent  at  my  cry, 

But  show  Thyself  to  me. 

Though  1  'm  exiled  from  glory's  land, 

Yet  not  from  glory's  King : 
My  God  is  ever  near  at  hand, 

And  therefore  I  will  sing. 

C.  H.  Spurgeom. 


VIII. 
RESULTS    OF   OVERWORK. 


Come,  let  us  live  while  we  live  !  Let  us  serve  God  to  the  utmost  stretch  of 
our  manhood  !  Let  us  ask  the  Lord  to  brace  our  nerves,  to  string  our  sinews, 
and  make  us  true  crusaders,  knights  of  the  blood-red  cross,  consecrated  men 
and  women  who,  for  the  love  we  bear  Christ's  name,  will  count  labor  to  be 
ease,  and  suffering  to  be  joy,  and  reproach  to  be  honor,  and  loss  to  be  gain  !  — 
C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


RESULTS    OF   OVERWORK. 


THE  special  religious  services  held  in  February,  at  the  Taber- 
nacle, were  seasons  of  much  blessing.  More  than  one  hun- 
dred members  were  added  to  the  church  in  one  month.  The 
people  went  to  the  services  expecting  to  receive  good,  and  they 
were  not  disappointed. 

Soon  after  the  annual  College  supper,  which  was  held  in  March, 
1 87 1,  at  which  the  sum  of  seven  thousand  five  hundred  dollars 
was  given,  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  laid  aside  by  a  more  than  usually 
severe  attack  of  gout,  which  confined  him  indoors  for  three  long, 
weary  months ;  yet  in  the  midst  of  all  his  pain  and  suffering  he 
wrote  in  July  of  the  great  mercies  he  had  received  from  the  hand 
of  God,  and  by  the  bounty  of  his  friends  to  the  Orphanage  and 
the  College.  It  was  at  the  close  of  this  protracted  attack  of 
bodily  pain  that  he  was  privileged  to  preach  the  sermon  which 
forms  No.  1,000  of  his  published  discourses.  Its  second  title  is 
"Bread  Enough  and  to  Spare,"  and  it  is  based  on  Luke  xv.  17, 
It  was  the  delight  of  the  pastor  to  receive  from  a  friend  five  thou- 
sand dollars  on  behalf  of  the  College,  in  honor  of  the  event  just 
named.  Who  would  not  pray  that  God's  blessing  may  rest  for- 
ever on  that  friend  ? 

Taking  the  advice  of  his  friends,  Mr.  Spurgeon  proceeded  to 
the  Continent  for  a  short  tour  and  for  rest.  His  observant  eye 
was  constantly  discovering  some  passing  beauty  which  his  ever- 
ready  pencil  recorded  in  his  note-book,  a  book  which  contains  a 
store  of  incidents  which  serve  to  enrich  his  conversation  and  fill 
up  his  magazine.     Accordingly,  taking  Jersey  and  Guernsey  on 


94  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    II.   SPURGEON. 

his  way,  we  find  before  the  end  of  the  year  an  interesting  article 
from  his  pen,  on  St.  Brelade's  Bay. 

As  the  cold  raw  winter  weather  set  in,  the  beloved  pastor  was 
urged  by  all  his  friends  to  seek  a  warmer  climate.  Illness  in  a 
severe  form  again  overtook  him,  on  the  second  day  of  which  he 
received  a  telegram  from  Boston,  in  America,  offering  most  liberal 
terms  to  him  if  he  would  go  to  that  country  and  deliver  a  series 
of  lectures.  So  large  a  sum  would  have  been  a  strong  tempta- 
tion to  most  men,  but  not  so  to  this  minister  of  Jesus  Christ, 
whose  prompt  reply  was,  "  he  had  neither  time  nor  strength  to 
go  to  America."  Instead  of  journeying  westward  for  personal 
gain,  he  started  on  a  pilgrimage  to  sunny  Italy  and  the  South  of 
France,  taking  what  he  designated  a  Scriptural  holiday,  a  forty 
days'  rest.  Accordingly,  leaving  gloomy  December  in  England, 
he  spent  that  month  in  visiting  Pompeii,  Venice,  Florence,  Rome, 
Naples,  and  France,  —  a  fitting  holiday  after  having  completed 
nineteen  years'  labor  in  London. 

In  taking  a  survey  of  the  work  of  the  year,  for  the  preface  to 
his  magazine,  Mr.  Spurgeon  sums  up  the  record  by  saying  it  had 
been  a  year  of  spiritual  drought  in  the  churches  generally,  but 
at  the  Tabernacle  they  had  witnessed  much  prosperity,  and  the 
trained  pastors  who  had  gone  out  from  them  had  been  also  blessed 
in  like  manner.  Eleven  students  were  appointed  to  pastoral  duty 
during  1872.  During  this  year,  also,  Archibald  G.  Brown  opened 
his  large  Tabernacle  in  the  East  of  London.  It  is  a  building  for 
extent  and  variety  of  Christian  work  second  only  to  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's.  Mr.  Brown  is  one  of  the  most  successful  students  trained 
in  the  Pastors'  College. 

In  the  hope  that  the  genial  sunshine  of  Southern  Europe,  in 
which  he  had  passed  out  of  the  old  into  the  new  year,  would  have 
established  his  health  for  renewed  efforts,  the  pastor  appeared 
once  more  at  the  Tabernacle,  and  at  the  church  meeting  in  Jan- 
uary, 1873,  he  had  the  gratification  of  finding  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  new  members  to  be  received  into  fellowship,  thus  dem- 
onstrating that  there  was  life  in  the  church,  though  its  chief  pastor 
had  been  away.  The  cold,  raw,  damp  weather  continuing  with 
the  new  year,  he  was  again  prevented  from  leaving  his  own  home, 


RESULTS    OF   OVERWORK.  95 

and  for  many  weeks  he  was  unable  to  preach  on  the  Sabbath. 
How  great  a  trial  that  silence  was  to  the  preacher,  none  so  well 
knew  as  himself.  Sorrowing  greatly  at  the  privation  both  to 
himself  and  his  church,  he  yet  submitted  without  murmur  to  the 
will  of  God. 

Shut  in  from  the  outer  world,  he  had  an  opportunity  of  survey- 
ing the  progress  of  the  work  which  was  being  done  at  the  Taber- 
nacle. The  College  reports  exhibited  the  outposts  which  had 
already  been  reached  by  the  students,  one  of  whom  was  laboring 
to  set  forth  Jesus  as  the  only  Saviour  of  sinners,  in  China ;  one 
in  Sydney,  one  in  Tasmania,  one  in  Adelaide,  two  in  Madrid,  one 
in  Ontario,  one  in  Ohio,  one  in  Philadelphia,  one  in  South  Africa, 
and  one  in  Toronto.  What  a  vast  prospect  of  work  to  be  done 
in  the  intermediate  spaces  between  each  one  of  those  missionary 
agents  and  the  Tabernacle  ! 

At  the  Annual  Church  Meeting  held  in  February,  1873,  the 
total  membership  was  reported  at  4,417.  The  losses  during  the 
previous  year  had  been  263,  the  additions  were  571,  leaving  a 
net  increase  for  the  year  of  308  living  members.  Well  may  both 
pastor  and  deacons  rejoice  at  the  presence  of  the  Lord  God  in 
their  midst.  At  this  date  came  a  renewed  application  from  the 
United  States  to  come  over  and  lecture.  Note  the  preacher's 
reply:  "  An  American  firm  offer  Mr.  Spurgeon  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars  to  deliver  twenty-five  lectures  in  that  country,  at  one 
thousand  dollars  each,  and  further  arrangements  can  be  made  for 
one  hundred  lectures.  Although  the  remuneration  offered  is  very 
far  beyond  anything  our  beloved  people  are  likely  to  give  us,  we 
prefer  to  have  the  gospel  according  to  our  Lord's  words  preached 
freely,  rather  than  to  use  the  Lord's  time  for  earning  money  for 
our  own  purse."     Well  done,  Pastor  Spurgeon  !  !  ! 

Always  sympathizing  with  the  oppressed,  it  did  not  surprise 
any  one  to  learn  that  the  Fisk  Jubilee  Singers  received  an  early 
invitation  from  the  pastor  and  deacons  to  give  one  of  their  con- 
certs in  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle.  It  would  be  difficult  to 
determine  which  party  experienced  the  most  delight,  the  colored 
singers  to  go  and  see  and  hear  Mr.  Spurgeon  speak  in  his  own 
church,  or  his  congregation  to  welcome,  with  all  the  heartiness 


g6  LIFE    AND    LABORS    UF   C.    H.    SPURGEOX. 

they  could  manifest,  those  Hberated  slaves,  whose  vocal  powers 
had  by  anticipation  preceded  their  visit,  to  insure  them  a  hearty 
greeting.  It  was  indeed  a  pleasant  hour,  that  which  introduced 
the  singers  to  the  vast  mass  of  people  which  crowded  every  inch 
of  space  in  the  building  to  hear  them.  Indeed,  hundreds  had  to 
go  away,  unable  to  crowd  in  anywhere  within  sight  or  hearing. 
And  the  collection  which  followed  it  was  right  royal  in  amount. 
They  cleared  about  eleven  hundred  dollars  for  their  University  by 
singing  at  the  Tabernacle  alone.  The  effect  on  the  mind  of  the 
pastor  himself,  he  thus  describes  in  his  own  magazine :  "  The 
melodies  were  rendered  by  our  emancipated  friends  in  a  manner 
altogether  unique :  we  have  never  heard  anything  like  it ;  pure 
nature  untrammelled  by  rule,  pouring  forth  its  notes  as  freely  as 
the  wild  birds  in  the  spring.  The  people  were  charmed:  our 
intercourse  with  the  choir  was  very  pleasant."  As  soon  as  the 
singers  arrived  in  London  on  their  second  tour,  they  received  an 
earnest  invitation  to  repeat  their  visit  to  the  Metropolitan  Taber- 
nacle. 

As  the  practical  pastor  was  again  charged  with  being  too  per- 
sonal in  preaching,  in  one  of  his  articles  on  "  Personal  preaching," 
Mr.  Spurgeon  remarks :  "  We  aim  at  speaking  personally  and 
pointedly  to  all  our  hearers;  and  they  are  the  best  judges  whether 
we  accomplish  it,  and  also  as  to  whether  we  use  language  at  which 
any  man  ought  to  be  offended.  Very  seldom  does  a  week  occur 
without  our  receiving  letters  from  persons  unknown  to  us,  thank- 
ing us  for  advising  or  comforting  them  in  our  sermons,  the  parties 
evidently  being  under  the  impression  that  some  friend  had  com- 
municated their  cases  to  us,  though,  indeed,  we  knew  nothing 
whatever  of  them.  Frequently  w^e  have  had  apologetic  notes 
acknowledging  the  justice  of  the  rebuke,  and  correcting  us  in 
some  minor  details  of  a  description  supposed  to  refer  to  a  special 
sinner;  whereas  we  were  unaware  of  the  writer's  existence.  We 
have  ceased  to  regard  these  incidents  as  curious,  for  we  remember 
that  the  Word  of  God  is  '  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents 
of  the  heart.' "  Strange  and  interesting  facts  have  often  reached 
him.  At  the  commencement  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  ministry  he  related 
having  received  a  letter  from  a  poor  shoemaker  during  the  week, 


RESULTS    OF    OVERWORK.  9/ 

who  said  that  he  was  the  man  who  had  kept  his  shop  open  on  the 
Sunday,  who  had  sold  only  one  pair  of  old  boots  for  one-and- 
eightpence,  and  that,  having  broken  the  Sabbath  for  so  small  a 
sum  and  been  so  publicly  exposed,  none  but  God  could  have  told 
the  facts  to  the  preacher,  he  had  resolved  to  break  the  Sabbath 
no  longer.  He  became  converted,  and  joined  the  church ;  but 
the  preacher  had  no  knowledge  of  the  man  till  he  wrote  about 
himself. 

During  the  spring  weather  of  '73  Mr.  Spurgeon  did  not  recover 
his  accustomed  health,  neither  did  he  give  up  his  accustomed 
work,  excepting  when  really  unable  to  leave  home.  At  the  end 
of  April  he  preached  one  of  the  annual  sermons  before  the  Wes- 
leyan  Missionary  Society,  in  Great  Queen-street  Chapel,  to  the 
largest  congregation  ever  assembled  on  a  similar  occasion,  at  the 
close  of  which  the  collection  reached  an  amount  greater  than  had 
ever  before  been  made  for  that  object. 

In  June  he  took  part  in  the  services  connected  with  laying 
memorial  stones  for  a  new  Baptist  chapel  near  his  own  residence 
at  Clapham.  He  stated  that  it  had  long  been  in  his  heart  to  build 
a  chapel  in  that  locality,  and  he  had  laid  aside  one  thousand  dol- 
lars to  commence  the  work,  but  all  his  efforts  had  failed.  He  was 
glad  that  others  were  doing  what  he  had  not  been  able  to  do. 
He  had  himself  been  delighted  that  year  to  preach  for  the  Wes- 
leyans,  and  to  speak  for  the  Independents ;  but  he  urged  all 
Baptists  residing  in  that  district  to  give  to  the  church  which 
intended  to  assemble  in  that  new  erection.  In  the  «arly  part  of 
the  year  Mr.  Spurgeon  had  made  a  collection  at  the  Tabernacle 
on  behalf  of  the  new  Surrey  Chapel  for  Mr.  Newman  Hall,  which 
reached  five  hundred  dollars. 

In  taking  a  survey  of  the  literary  work  of  "  The  Sword  and  the 
Trowel"  for  the  year,  the  editor  in  his  preface  for  1873  remarks: 
"  I  have  been  hunting  up  topics  of  interest  with  no  small  degree 
of  anxiety,  sending  forth  the  magazine  with  earnest  desires  to  win 
a  hearing  and  to  produce  good  results  of  all  kinds.  I  edit  the 
periodical  most  conscientiously,  giving  it  my  personal  attention, 
and  I  spare  no  pains  to  make  it  as  good  as  I  can." 

The  applications  made  to  the  College  for  pastors  during  1873 

7 


98  LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

were  more  numerous  than  had  before  been  made.  Thirty  of  these 
were  supphed.  Out  of  that  number  two  were  sent  to  Spain,  one 
to  India,  one  to  China,  one  to  Prince  Edward  Island,  one  to 
Ireland,  and  one  to  Scotland.  On  the  14th  of  October  the  foun- 
dation-stone of  the  new  College  buildings  was  laid  by  the  Presi- 
dent. It  was  a  day  which  will  long  be  remembered  with  delight. 
The  people  on  the  occasion  gave  five  thousand  dollars,  and  the 
students  gave  fifteen  hundred  more ;  but  the  chief  joy  of  the  day 
was  the  whole-day  prayer-meeting  which  the  students  held,  that 
the  divine  blessing  might  rest  on  the  work,  and  upon  all  connected 
with  the  College. 


IX. 

TRIALS    AND    DELIVERANCES. 


There  is  a  trying  word  and  a  delivering  word,  and  we  must  bear  the  one  till 
the  other  comes  to  us.  How  meekly  Joseph  endured  his  afflictions,  and  with 
what  fortitude  he  looked  forward  to  tlie  clearing  of  his  slandered  character! 
It  will  be  well  if,  under  similar  trials,  we  are  able  to  imitate  him  and  come  forth 
from  the  furnace  as  thoroughly  purified  as  he  was.  and  as  well  prepared  to  bear 
the  yet  sterner  ordeal  of  honor  and  power.  —  C.   H.  Spurgeon. 


TRIALS   AND    DELIVERANCES. 


THE  year  1874  presented  but  few  varieties  in  the  life  and 
work  of  the  pastor  at  the  Tabernacle.  Of  blessings  he  had 
many,  and  of  trials  not  a  few ;  but  the  work  prospered.  In  May 
the  funds  of  the  Orphanage  ran  dry,  and,  as  there  was  urgent 
need  of  five  hundred  dollars  for  each  week,  earnest  efforts  were 
required.  On  May  the  8th  all  the  debts  were  paid ;  but  the  bank 
was  empty.  There  was  urgent  pleading  with  God,  and  on  that 
very  day  two  thousand  dollars  was  sent  in,  so  that  the  orphans 
were  thereby  provided  for  during  another  month.  In  October 
the  funds  were  exhausted  again ;  and  again,  in  answer  to  prayer 
and  effort,  the  needed  relief  came,  though  the  faith  of  all  was 
tried.  At  that  time  the  pastor  was  suffering  greatly,  both  in  his 
person  and  family ;  his  body  was  weary  with  rheumatic  pains,  his 
dear  wife  a  suffering  invalid,  the  care  of  a  church  of  four  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  members  rested  upon  him,  and  the  cry  of  the 
orphans  was  heard  for  bread ;  in  the  midst  of  all,  his  faith  failed 
not ;  he  wrote  his  assurance  that  the  Lord  will  provide.  Amongst 
other  kind  of  help  which  came,  Messrs.  Cory,  of  Cardiff,  sent  for 
the  good  of  the  Orphanage  five  thousand  dollars. 

The  annual  meetings  for  prayer  in  February,  the  yearly  church 
meeting  for  reporting  the  progress  of  the  several  agencies  at  work, 
and  the  annual  supper  in  March  for  the  benefit  of  the  College, 
were  each  times  of  refreshing  and  blessing,  in  both  spiritual  and 
material  things.     In  May  the  congregation  at  the  Tabernacle  had 


I02  LIFE  AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

the  delightful  satisfaction  of  hearing  the  Rev.  George  Miiller,  of 
Bristol,  preach  to  them.  After  carrying  on  his  wonderful  Orphan 
Houses  near  that  city  for  forty  years,  he  felt  constrained  to  go 
forth  on  a  preaching  pilgrimage,  to  declare  the  goodness  of  God, 
and  to  try  and  stimulate  the  faith  of  the  Lord's  people,  and  Mr. 
Spurgeon's  church  shared  in  his  ministrations.  It  was  a  fitting 
cordial  welcome  to  a  man  who  was  the  very  embodiment  of  that 
faith  by  which  Mr.  Spurgeon's  Orphanage  had  been  erected  and 
maintained  hitherto ;  and  Mr.  MuUer's  discourse  embodied  much 
of  his  own  personal  experience  of  what  God  had  done  by  and 
through  him,  in  erecting  Orphan  Houses  on  Ashley  Downs,  free 
from  debt,  in  which  two  thousand  children  are  daily  fed,  clothed, 
and  educated.  To  the  long  record  of  God's  faithful  ones,  written 
by  the  Apostle  Paul,  must  be  added  what  was  done  by  the  faith 
of  George  Miiller  and  his  helpers  at  Bristol,  and  b}'  Pastor  C.  H. 
Spurgeon  and  his  helpers  at  Stockwell. 

Having  had  repeated  invitations  to  preach  in  Bedford,  in  what 
is  known  as  the  New  Bunyan  Meeting,  Mr.  Spurgeon  visited  that 
place  in  the  summer  of  1874,  but  the  crowds  which  assembled  to 
hear  him  made  it  impossible  for  any  building  for  public  worship 
to  hold  them.  Mr.  Howard  kindly  met  the  people's  wants,  and 
had  one  of  his  large  implement  sheds  fitted  up  for  worship,  and 
there  the  voice  of  praise  and  prayer  ascended  to  heaven  from 
thousands  of  voices.  It  was  a  memorable  day  for  Bedford,  which 
the  people  will  not  let  pass  from  their  recollection. 

In  the  summer  of  1874  a  great  cry  was  raised  against  Mr.  Spur- 
geon for  a  public  utterance  in  favor  of  smoking  tobacto,  which 
was  made  use  of  by  the  press  and  jealous  rivals  to  lessen  his 
influence.     In  his  own  defence  he  wrote  as  follows :  — 

"  I  demur  altogether  and  most  positively  to  the  statement  that 
to  smoke  tobacco  is  in  itself  a  sin.  It  may  become  so,  as  any 
other  indifferent  action  may,  but  as  an  action  it  is  no  sin.  To- 
gether with  hundreds  of  thousands  of  my  fellow-Christians,  I  have 
smoked  ;  and  with  them  I  am  under  the  condemnation  of  living 
in  habitual  sin,  if  certain  accusers  are  to  be  believed.  As  I  would 
not  knowingly  Hve  even  in  the  smallest  violation  of  the  law  of 
God,  and  sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  law,  I  will  not  own  to  sin 


TRIALS    AND    DELIVERANCES.  IO3 

when  I  am  not  conscious  of  it.  There  is  growing  up  in  society 
a  Pharisaic  system  which  adds  to  the  commands  of  God  the  pre- 
cepts of  men ;  to  that  system  I  will  not  yield  for  an  hour.  The 
preservation  of  my  liberty  may  bring  upon  me  the  upbraidings  of 
many  of  the  good,  and  the  sneers  of  the  self-righteous :  but  I 
shall  endure  both  with  serenity,  so  long  as  I  feel  clear  in  my 
conscience  before  God. 

"  The  expression  '  smoking  to  the  glory  of  God  '  standing  alone 
has  an  ill  sound,  and  I  do  not  justify  it;  but  in  the  sense  in  which 
I  employed  it  I  still  stand  to  it.  No  Christian  should  do  anything 
in  which  he  cannot  glorify  God  —  and  this  may  be  done,  according 
to  Scripture,  in  eating  and  drinking  and  the  common  actions  of 
life.  When  I  have  found  intense  pain  relieved,  a  weary  brain 
soothed,  and  calm,  refreshing  sleep  obtained  by  a  cigar,  I  have 
felt  grateful  to  God,  and  have  blessed  His  name;  this  is  what  I 
meant,  and  by  no  means  did  I  use  sacred  words  triflingly.  If 
through  smoking  I  had  wasted  an  hour  of  my  time ;  if  I  had 
stinted  my  gifts  to  the  poor;  if  I  had  rendered  my  mind  less 
vigorous,  I  trust  I  should  see  my  fault  and  turn  from  it:  but  he 
who  charges  me  with  these  things  shall  have  no  answer  but  my 
forgiveness. 

"  I  am  told  that  my  open  avowal  will  lessen  my  influence,  and 
my  reply  is  that  if  I  have  gained  any  influence  through  being 
thought  different  from  what  I  am,  I  have  no  wish  to  retain  it.  I 
will  do  nothing  upon  the  sly,  and  nothing  about  which  I  have  a 
doubt. 

"  I  am  most  sorry  that  prominence  has  been  given  to  what 
seems  to  me  so  small  a  matter —  and  the  last  thing  in  my  thoughts 
would  have  been  the  mention  of  it  from  the  pulpit ;  but  I  was 
placed  in  such  a  position  that  I  must  either  by  my  silence  plead 
guilty  to  living  in  sin,  or  else  bring  down  upon  my  unfortunate 
self  the  fierce  rebukes  of  the  anti-tobacco  advocates  by  speaking 
out  honestly.  I  chose  the  latter;  and  although  I  am  now  the 
target  for  these  worthy  brethren,  I  would  sooner  endure  their 
severest  censures  than  sneakingly  do  what  I  could  not  justify,  and 
earn  immunity  from  their  criticism  by  tamely  submitting  to  be 
charged  with  sin  in  an  action  which  my  conscience  allows." 


I04  Llt'E   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    li.    SPURGEON. 

This  is  a  noble  reply,  but  let  no  one  for  a  moment  suppose  that 
Pastor  Spurgeon  advocates  the  general  use  of  tobacco.  By  no 
means.  And  let  his  accusers  remember  that  indulgence  in  expen- 
sive dress,  or  eating  and  drinking,  is  not  allowable  to  themselves 
because  they  refrain  from  the  use  of  tobacco.  Those  who  would 
wash  the  disciples'  feet  should  do  so  with  clean  hands. 

One  of  the  most  gratifying  services  at  the  Tabernacle,  during 
the  year  1874,  was  that  held  on  Monday,  September  21,  when  the 
pastor's  heart  was  delighted  by  admitting  both  of  his  sons  into 
church  fellowship  by  public  baptism.  One  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sis- 
ters has  long  been  a  member  there,  and  now  his  two  boys,  Charles 
and  Thomas,  have  both  a  name  and  a  place  in  the  church.  Before 
they  had  been  in  communion  with  the  church  a  year  they  began 
to  address  a  small  congregation  at  Bolingbroke  Road,  Clapham, 
on  the  Sabbath  day.  One  of  the  brothers  took  the  service  in  the 
morning,  and  the  other  in  the  evening :  thus  they  were  both,  in 
their  eighteenth  year,  following  in  the  footsteps  of  their  father  and 
their  ancestors  for  several  generations.  May  the  blessing  of  their 
fathers'  God  rest  upon  and  ever  abide  with  them. 

More  numerous  than  ever  before  were  the  applications  for 
pastors  from  the  Tabernacle  College.  During  the  year  1874  the 
new  buildings  had  been  opened,  and  they  had  been  found  all 
that  could  be  desired  for  the  convenience,  comfort,  and  health  of 
the  men.  The  educational  staff  had  been  increased,  and  acfditional 
facilities  for  extending  the  knowledge  of  the  students  afforded. 
Thirty-seven  students  were  located  during  the  year,  three  of  whom 
were  sent  to  the  United  States,  and  one  to  Scotland.  Up  to  the 
end  of  1874  the  total  number  of  students  who  had  gone  out  as 
pastors  was  three  hundred  and  twenty. 

Probably  no  preacher  of  the  present  day  has  received  more 
tokens  of  affectionate  regard,  both  private  and  public,  personal 
and  collective,  than  Pastor  Spurgeon.  These  might  be  mentioned 
by  the  score,  but  it  will  suffice  to  allude  to  one  special  instance. 

When  Mr.  Spurgeon  had  completed  his  pastorate  of  twenty-one 
years,  some  of  his  friends  resolved  to  mark  their  sense  of  the  value 
of  his  services  by  a  present  of  ten  thousand  dollars  and  a  writ- 
ten memorial.     On  hearing  of  what  was  contemplated,  the  pastor 


TRIALS   AND   DELIVERANCES.  IO5 

declined  the  financial  part  of  the  proposal,  suggesting  that  their 
gifts  find  their  way  to  the  collection  at  the  College  supper. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  church-members  held  on  Jan.  5,  1875,  a 
very  elegantly  written  testimonial,  expressive  of  their  devout  grati- 
tude to  God  for  having  sustained  C.  H.  Spurgeon  through  twenty- 
one  years  of  faithful,  loving,  and  eminently  successful  ministry, 
beyond  all  precedent  in  the  history  of  the  Lord's  people,  was  pre- 
sented. It  was  a  superb  and  elaborate  piece  of  penmanship,  and 
in  the  border  were  inserted  correct  photographic  portraits  both  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon  and  his  brother  James,  the  co-pastor.  The  portraits 
will  remain  as  permanent  representations  of  the  two  brothers  in 
the  prime  of  life. 

The  voice  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  was  the  foremost  theme 
in  "  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel  "  for  January,  1875.  The  subject 
was  "Twenty  Years  of  Published  Sermons."  In  an  article  extend- 
ing to  several  pages  the  Editor  gives  a  brief  history  of  the  way  his 
sermons  first  began  to  appear  in  print,  followed  by  a  glance  at 
their  continuance  during  a  period  of  twenty  years.  He  informs 
us  that  as  a  youth  he  took  great  delight  in  reading  the  sermons 
of  Joseph  Irons  as  they  appeared ;  and  he  even  then  conceived 
in  his  heart  that  one  day  he  might  have  a  penny  pulpit  of  his  own. 
The  dream  of  his  boyhood  has  been  realized,  and  he  gratefully 
acknowledges  the  hand  of  God  in  permitting  him  to  issue  one 
sermon  at  the  least  every  week,  without  a  single  omission,  for 
the  last  twenty  years.  This  is  a  privilege  and  an  honor  no  other 
man  in  England  has  attained  to ;  and  the  plain,  homely,  earnest 
manner  in  which  the  gospel  has  been  set  forth  in  those  sermons 
is  set  down  by  the  author  as  the  chief  cause  of  their  continuance. 
Commencing  with  a  sale  of  from  one  to  two  thousand  weekly,  they 
rapidly  increased  till  the  sale  was  ten  thousand  each  issue.  For 
many  years  past  the  sermons  have  maintained  a  steady  and  per- 
manent sale  of  twenty-five  thousand  copies.  There  is  a  twofold 
marvel  connected  with  these  sermons :  the  first  is  that  the  work 
should  have  been  continued  so  many  years  without  interruption ; 
the  second,  that  the  sale  should  have  steadily  progressed  till  they 
had  reached  so  large  a  weekly  demand,  and  that  it  has  been  so 
many  years  maintained  at  that  large  number.     The  sermons  are 


I06  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    IL    STURGEON. 

to  be  found  in  every  country  in  the  world,  and  at  a  moderate 
computation  they  have  been  read  during  the  past  twenty  years 
by  milHons  of  people.  Many  hundreds  of  persons  have  been 
converted  by  their  perusal,  and  thousands  of  preachers  have  at 
various  times  either  used  them  in  their  published  form,  or  adapted 
them  to  the  congregations  to  which  they  have  been  preached  by 
others  than  their  author.  One  Scotch  minister  translates  the  ser- 
mons into  Gaelic,  and  from  his  Gaelic  translates  them  back  into 
English,  by  which  process  he  preserves  the  thoughts,  but  totally 
loses  the  phraseology  used  by  Mr.  Spurgeon;  and  in  that  form 
preaches  or  reads  them  to  his  people. 

One  gentleman  had  copies  handsomely  bound  and  presented  to 
every  crowned  head  in  Europe.  A  smaller  volume  was  sent,  post 
free,  to  every  student  in  all  the  English  universities,  and  to  all  the 
members  of  both  houses  of  Parliament.  That  gentleman  alone 
gave  away  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  copies  of  the  sermons, 
and  superintended  their  distribution  himself 

With  such  a  history,  well  may  the  preacher  close  his  own 
account  of  his  sermon-publishing  labors  with  the  words  of  the 
Psalmist :  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me 
bless  His  holy  name  !  " 

But  however  jubilant  the  tone  of  the  first  article  in  the  January 
magazine,  it  was  not  long  before  the  pastor  realized  how  uncertain 
were  earthly  joys,  and  how  soon  they  are  mixed  with  sorrows. 
Naturally  buoyant  in  spirit,  he  was  preparing  to  escape  from  the 
severe  cold  of  January  by  a  visit  to  Mentone,  where  a  genial  sun 
shines  all  the  year  round.  Gout  and  rheumatic  pains  came  on  with 
such  rapidity  and  severity  that  removal  from  home  was  impossible. 
His  condition  will  be  best  described  in  his  own  words :  — 

"  Just  preparing  for  a  journey  to  Mentone  when  gout  and  rheu- 
matism came  on  with  such  rapidity  and  severity  that  removal  was 
impossible.  Feet  and  legs  became  useless  except  for  suffering. 
We  had  much  to  do,  but  were  not  permitted  even  to  think  of  the 
many  plans  of  usefulness  open.  Dr.  Palfrey  attended,  and  inti- 
mated that  the  disease  springs  from  mental  causes,  and  can  be  as 
fairly  reckoned  upon  when  an  extra  pressure  of  care  or  labor 
occurs  as  the  tides  may  be  calculated  by  the  moon. 


TRIALS   AND    DELIVERANCES.  IO7 

"  We  have  received  many  prescriptions  for  the  gout,  and  should 
have  been  dead  long  ago  if  we  had  tried  half  of  them.  We  are 
grateful,  but  cannot  utilize  them.  The  best  remedy  is  to  prevent 
our  having  any  anxiety  about  the  College,  Orphanage,  or  the  Col- 
portage.  If  the  funds  keep  up,  and  the  works  are  carried  on,  and 
the  Lord's  blessing  rests  upon  the  enterprises,  they  will  be  better 
to  us  than  all  the  lotions,  liniments,  specifics,  and  elixirs  put  to- 
gether, with  twenty  sorts  of  magnetisms  thrown  in." 

After  many  weeks  of  intense  suffering  relief  came ;  and  a  brief 
holiday  for  change  was  followed  by  a  renewed  application  to  the 
numerous  daily  duties  of  his  active  life.  Resuming  his  Sunday 
morning  preaching,  he  found  Mr.  Ira  D.  Sankey  one  of  his  audit- 
ors, and  at  the  close  of  the  service  the  American  evangelist  led 
the  congregation  by  singing  one  of  his  favorite  hymns,  "  Ring  the 
Bells  of  Heaven."  Mr.  Spurgeon  shortly  afterwards  manifested  his 
sympathy  with  the  work  carried  on  by  Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey 
by  inviting  them  to  take  part  in  the  College  anniversary,  and  by  his 
delivering  addresses  for  them  at  the  noonday  prayer-meetings, 
and  by  preaching.  Mr.  Moody  visited  Mr.  Spurgeon  at  his  resi- 
dence at  Clapham,  and  a/ter  dinner  learned  from  his  host  some 
lessons  of  practical  encouragement  in  his  great  evangelistic  work. 
Looking  over  the  portraits  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  twin  boys,  —  for 
which  they  both  sat  annually  from  infancy  till  they  were  seventeen 
years  old,  to  show  their  gradual  growth,  —  Mr.  Moody  has  since 
used  the  fact  as  a  new  illustration  for  his  sermons. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
held  in  Exeter  Hall,  Mr.  Spurgeon  moved  the  adoption  of  the  reso- 
lution of  thanks  to  the  committee  and  officers ;  and  in  doing  so 
stated  very  plainly  that  the  distribution  of  the  Bible  was  the  best 
remedy  against  infidelity,  ritualism,  and  all  other  evils ;  and  the 
study  of  its  pages  tended  to  bring  all  Christians  nearer  to  each 
other.  He  prefaced  his  address  by  relating  an  incident  which 
occurred  to  him  three  years  previously,  which  is  as  follows.  Sit- 
ting in  the  Colosseum  at  Rome  with  two  or  three  friends,  he  said: 
"  Is  it  not  glorious  to  look  at  this  old  ruin  and  see  how  Christ  has 
conquered  here ;  how  all  these  ruins  tell  what  desolations  He  hath 
made  in  the  earth ;  how  He  breaketh  the  bow  and  scattereth  the 


108  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    IL    SPURGEON. 

spear  in  sunder?     So  I  said,  *  Let  us  have  a  tune,'  and  we  sang 

the  verse,  — 

'Jesus'  tremendous  name 
Has  put  our  foes  to  flight ; 
Jesus,  the  meek,  the  humble  Iamb, 
A  lion  is  in  fight.' 

Up  came  two  strangers,  and  said,  'What  is  that  you  are  singing? 
Let  us  join  you.'  One  was  an  American  and  the  other  an  EngUsh 
clergyman,  and  we  sang  together  the  next  verse,  — 

'  By  all  hell's  host  withstood. 
We  all  hell's  host  o'erthrow  ; 
And  conquering  them  through  Jesus'  blood, 
We  still  to  conquer  go.' 

And  so  we  shall  mark  our  track  by  the  ruin  of  our  adversaries; 
they  shall  only  be  remembered  by  the  place  which  they  once 
inhabited,  which  shall  be  a  desolation  and  the  habitation  of  the 
bittern  for  ever  and  ever." 

Before  closing  his  address,  he  related  the  following  anecdote: 
"  I  have  very  seldom  found  it  to  be  a  lost  thing  to  give  a  present 
of  a  Testament.  I  was  greatly  astonished  about  a  month  ago.  A 
cabman  drove  me  home,  and  when  I  paid  him  his  fare,  he  said : 
'  A  long  time  since  I  drove  you  last,  sir !  '  '  But,'  said  I,  '  I  do  not 
recollect  you  !  '  '  Well,'  he  said,  '  I  think  it  is  fourteen  years  ago; 
but,'  he  said,  'perhaps  you  will  know  this  Testament!'  pulling 
one  out  of  his  pocket.  'What,'  I  sair^,  'did  I  give  you  that?' 
'  Oh,  yes,'  he  said,  '  and  you  spoke  t'^  me  about  my  soul,  and 
nobody  had  done  that  before,  and  I  have  never  forgotten  it.' 
'What,'  said  I,  'haven't  you  worn  it  out?'  'No,'  he  said,  'I 
would  not  wear  it  out;  I  have  had  it  bound!  '  —  and  he  had  kept 
it  very  carefully  indeed." 

Just  at  that  period  Messrs.  Moody  and  Sankey  were  in  the  midst 
of  their  evangelistic  labors  in  London,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  cheer- 
fully and  heartily  encouraged  those  earnest  men  of  God.  Early 
in  May'he  preached  for  Mr.  Moody  one  Friday  evening  to  ten 
thousand  people  in  Bow-road  Hall,  on  the  healing  of  the  deaf  and 
dumb  man,  as  recorded  in  Mark  vii.  24-27.  The  sermon  occu- 
pied nearly  an  hour  in  delivery,  and  was  simple,  natural,  and  prac- 


TRIALS   AND    DELIVERANCES.  IO9 

tical,  and  was  listened  to  with  the  attention  of  persons  who  seemed 
to  be  hstening  for  Hfe.  Few  of  those  who  were  present,  and  who 
admired  the  power  of  his  voice  and  the  vigor  of  his  thoughts,  knew 
that  he  had  spoken  for  two  hours  that  afternoon  to  the  students  of 
his  College. 

A  great  grief  overshadowed  the  church  at  the  Tabernacle  near 
the  end  of  the  month  of  July,  when  it  was  announced  that  Mrs. 
Bartlett  was  seriously  ill ;  and  after  only  a  week's  illness  the  labors 
of  her  most  loving  and  useful  life  were  terminated  on  August  2. 
On  Friday,  August  6,  a  funeral  service  was  held  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, and  the  interment  took  place  the  same  afternoon  in  Nunhead 
Cemetery.  The  suffering  pastor  bowed  submissi\ely  to  that  divine 
dispensation,  knowing  that  the  hand  of  God  was  in  it. 


no  LIFE  AND   LABORS  OF  C.   H.   SPURGEON. 


PSALM  XLI. 

Jesus,  poorest  of  the  poor ! 

Man  of  sorrows  !     Child  of  grief  ! 
Happy  they  whose  bounteous  store 

Ministered  to  Thy  relief. 

Jesus,  though  Thy  head  is  crowned, 
Crowned  with  loftiest  majesty. 

In  Thy  members  Thou  art  found 
Plunged  in  deepest  poverty. 

Happy  they  who  wash  Thy  feet, 
Visit  Thee  in  Thy  distress  ! 

Honor  great,  and  labor  sweet, 
For  Thy  sake  the  saints  to  bless  ! 

They  who  feed  Thy  sick  and  faint, 
For  Thyself  a  banquet  find  ; 

They  who  clothe  the  naked  saint. 
Round  Thy  loins  the  raiment  bind. 

Thou  wilt  keep  their  soul  alive, 

From  their  foes  protect  their  head; 

Languishing,  their  strength  revive. 
And  in  sickness  make  their  bed. 

Thou  wilt  deeds  of  love  repay ; 

Grace  shall  generous  hearts  reward 
Here  on  earth,  and  in  the  day 

When  they  meet  their  reigning  Lord. 


C.  H.  Spurgeon 


X. 

DEVISING    LIBERAL   THINGS. 


Let  not  your  zeal  evaporate  in  a  mei '  mist  of  pious  talk,  let  it  flow  in  streams 
of  practical  usefulness.  Love  the  brethren  of  Him  who  loved  you.  If  there 
be  a  Mephibosheth  anywhere  who  is  lame  or  halt,  help  him  for  that  Jonathan's 
sake  whose  love  to  us  surpasscth  the  love  of  women.  If  there  be  a  poor  tried 
believer,  weep  with  him,  and  bear  his  cross  for  the  sake  of  Him  who  wept  for 
you  and  carried  the  painful  burden  of  your  sins.  —  C.   H.   Spurgeon. 


DEVISING    LIBERAL   THINGS. 


THE  work  of  Mrs.  Bartlett  at  the  Tabernacle  has  been  one  of 
the  greatest  blessings  of  the  place.  That  lady,  born  in  the 
country  in  1807,  was  converted  to  God  at  the  age  of  twelve,  and 
immediately  she  began  to  persuade  others  around  her  to  give  their 
hearts  to  God.  She  became  an  earnest  and  devoted  praying 
teacher  in  the  Sunday-school,  and  soon  saw  some  of  the  children 
turning  to  God.  She  then  began  to  visit  the  villages  around  her 
house,  and  was  the  means  of  doing  much  good  in  that  way.  After 
her  marriage,  and  with  a  family  claiming  her  attention,  she  came 
to  London,  and,  attending  New  Park-street  Chapel,  good  Deacon 
Olney  invited  her,  in  1859,  to  take  charge  of  the  senior  class  con- 
nected with  the  Sunday-school,  which  had  then  only  three  in 
attendance.  Suffering  from  heart  disease,  she  consented  to  take 
the  class  for  only  one  month,  during  which  time  it  had  increased 
to  fourteen.  Supported  in  her  work,  her  strong  faith  in  God  led 
her  to  say,  "  God  has  given  me  strength  for  one  month.  He  will 
surely  give  me  strength  for  another."  In  1861,  when  the  new 
Tabernacle  was  opened,  the  class  had  increased  to  fifty.  Such 
was  the  influence  of  her  earnest,  loving  words  on  the  young 
women,  that  soon  they  numbered  a  hundred,  then  two  and  three, 
and  in  a  short  time  five  hundred  attended  her  services  every  Sab- 
bath day,  and  many  of  them  came  also  on  Tuesday  and  Friday; 
whilst  at  her  own  house,  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  called  the  "  House 
of  Mercy,"  she  was  constantly  receiving  anxious  inquirers  after 
salvation.  The  blessing  of  God  so  abundantly  rested  upon  her 
labors,  that  fully  one  hundred  of  her  members  joined  the  church 

8 


114  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON, 

annually.  They  generously  collected  and  gave  thousands  of  dollars 
to  the  funds  of  the  Pastors'  College,  besides  contributing  to  relieve 
the  wants  of  the  poor  in  the  locality. 

During  the  year  1875  twenty-nine  of  the  students  from  the 
Pastors'  College  were  sent  into  the  field  of  ministerial  labor,  three 
of  whom  went  into  the  work  abroad,  one  to  Rio  Janeiro,  one  to 
San  Domingo,  and  one  to  China. 

Before  the  year  closed,  a  change  from  the  damp  cold  of  the 
November  fogs  in  London  to  the  genial  sunshine  at  Mehtojie,  in 
South  Europe,  was  a  necessity  for  the  overworked  pastor.  Whilst  . 
resting  in  the  sunny  South,  Mr.  Spurgeon  wrote  some  pleasant' 
Recollections  of  Dr.  Brock.  Dining  one  day  at  Mr.  Spiirgeon's 
house.  Father  Olney  was  present,  and  Dr.  Brock  stated  that  he 
had  preached  at  Park-street  Chapel  once  or  twice  when  a  student 
at  Stepney  College,  but  he  supposed  he  was  not  man  enough  for 
them,  as  he  was  not  invited  to  succeed  Dr.  Rippon.  The  good 
deacon  remarked  that  the  people  were  much  struck  with  him,  but 
he  himself  was  not  in  office  in  those  days,  so  had  not  dared  to 
interfere  with  the  august  authorities  then  in  power.  "  See  how  all 
things  are  determined  by  a  superintending  Providence,"  replied 
the  Doctor;  "for  if  the  Park-street  people  had  chosen  me,  where 
would  our  friend  Spurgeon  have  come  to?" 

On  another  occasion  Dr.  Brock  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  were  dining 
together  at  the  mansion  of  a  beloved  friend  in  Regent's  Park, 
when  the  Orphanage  building  was  in  progress,  and  money  was 
wanted  which  was  not  in  hand.  Mr.  Spurgeon,  suffering  from 
feeble  health,  still  expressed  his  strong  faith  in  God  that  the 
money  would  come  to  hand  in  due  time.  Just  as  the  dinner  was 
ended  the  servant  entered  the  room  with  a  telegram  from  his 
private  secretary,  announcing  that  an  unknown  donor  had  sent 
^  five  thousand  dollars  for  the  Orphanage.  Dr.  Brock  immediately 
rose  and  poured  forth  his  utterances  of  gratitude  in  the  most 
joyful  manner,  and  they  all  united  in  prayer  on  their  knees  to 
magnify  the  Lord. 

About  the  same  time  certain  newspapers  published  reports  that 
some  sixty  Methodist  students  were  yearly  received  into  the  classes 
of  the  Pastors'  College.     This  is  noticed  to  give  an  opportunity 


DEVISING   LIBERAL   THINGS.  II  5 

for  Mr.  .Spurgeon's  reply,  which  was  in  these  words :  "  We  have 
never  said  anything  of  the  kind,  nor  is  it  true.  We  shall  not  regret 
if  it  turns  out  to  be  a  prophecy.  If  Methodists  improve  into 
Baptists,  we  shall  not  lament  it ;  but  we  do  not  expect  it.  The 
Church  of  England  has  been  flirting  with  the  Wesleyans,  but  we 
have  done  nothing  of  the  kind ;  we  have  been  too  busy  seeking 
the  conversion  of  the  ungodly  to  have  had  any  time  to  bait  traps 
for  members  of  any  other  denominations."  This  reply  may  be 
taken  as  a  general  answer  to  other  false  reports  which  sensational 
editors  are  too  fond  of  printing  in  their  papers. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  church  members  it  was  reported  that 
510  had  been  added  to  the  church  during  the  year  1875,  that  208 
had  removed,  leaving  the  total  of  church  members  at  4,813,  being 
an  increase  of  136  on  the  year. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Colportage  Association  reported  that 
forty-seven  men  were  employed  in  forty-three  districts,  and  that 
$22,075  ^^^^  been  received  for  books  supplied  by  that  agency. 

The  weekly  offerings  at  the  Tabernacle  for  1875,  '^^  behalf  of 
the  Pastors'  College,  were  reported  to  be  $9,375. 

On  March  ist  a  very  lively,  loving,  and  enthusiastic  meeting  of 
the  collectors  was  held  at  the  Orphanage,  when  one  thousand 
dollars  was  paid  in,  and  the  orphans  sang  like  cherubs,  and 
looked  as  bright  and  cheerful  as  the  morning.  The  meeting  was 
interesting  in  other  respects,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following 
extract:  "The  Rev.  John  Spurgeon,  Charles  H.  Spurgeon,  and 
Thomas  Spurgeon  —  grandfather,  father,  and  son  —  addressed 
the  meeting.  The  grandsire  spoke  of  twenty  years  ago,  when 
C.  H.  Spurgeon  preached  at  his  grandfather's  —  James  Spurgeon's 
jubilee,  and  three  generations  of  their  family  were  present  on  that 
occasion.  He  blessed  God  that  as  the  older  generations  had  gone 
new  ones  had  arisen.  We  all  joined  in  his  gratitude,  and  the 
more  so  when  the  grandson  proved  by  his  cool,  clear  delivery,  and 
lively,  warm-hearted  manner,  that  he  would  worthily  sustain  the 
family  name." 

There  was  a  still  more  interesting  gathering  at  the  Orphanage, 
on  June  20th,  when  a  /^te  was  held  to  commemorate  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  pastor's   birthday.     The  crowds  which  attended  were 


Il6  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

beyond  all  precedent,  and  at  the  evening  meeting,  presided  over 
by  Sir  Henry  Havelock,  five  Spurgeons  delivered  addresses, 
namely,  the  Rev.  John  Spurgeon,  the  grandfather;  his  two  sons, 
Charles  and  James  Spurgeon ;  and  Thomas  and  Charles,  the  twin 
sons  of  Pastor  C.  H.  Spurgeon.  Seldom  does  a  man  find  himself 
followed  in  the  ministry  by  two  sons  and  two  grandsons,  all  living 
to  speak  at  the  same  meeting.  About  one  thousand  dollars  was 
contributed  that  day  to  the  funds  of  the  Orphanage,  one  friend 
having  sent  £4.2  (two  hundred  and  ten  dollars),  so  as  to  give  a 
golden  token  of  his  esteem  for  every  year  of  the  pastor's  life. 
The  pastor  recorded  afterwards  that  his  right  arm  and  hand 
would  long  remember  the  thousands  of  hearty  salutations  he 
had  received  that  day. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  some  twenty-five  years  before,  an  ap- 
pointment was  made  with  Dr.  Angus,  of  London,  to  meet  a  young 
man  at  Cambridge,  with  the  intention  of  arranging  for  the  young 
man  to  become  a  student  of  the  Baptist  College  in  London.  By 
a  very  remarkable  omission  of  duty,  the  college  tutor  and  the 
young  man  did  not  meet  on  that  day,  and  the  young  man  did  not 
enter  a  college.  Now  that  young  man  has  a  college  of  his  own, 
in  which  some  of  the  most  able  and  useful  ministers  in  England 
have  been  trained,  and  about  forty  new  Baptist  churches  have 
been  raised  in  London  and  its  suburbs  solely  by  the  students  sent 
forth  from  the  Pastors'  College.  On  March  17,  1876,  Dr.  Angus, 
who  still  presides  over  the  Regent's  Park  Baptist  College,  went 
over  with  his  students  to  pay  a  fraternal  visit  to  the  Pastors'  Col- 
lege, and  a  very  pleasant  day  was  thus  spent  together.  Both 
students  and  tutors  were  hearty  in  their  greetings.  The  Taber- 
nacle men  escorted  their  guests  over  the  College  and  rooms  at  the 
Tabernacle,  and  many  new  acquaintances  were  made,  which  will 
surely  ripen  into  enduring  friendship  when  they  meet  one  another 
on  the  field  of  service.  The  addresses  delivered  on  the  occasion 
were  hearty,  solid,  and  well  received,  and  the  social  and  Christian 
intercourse  thus  opened  will  be  a  blessing  to  both  colleges. 

Another  form  of  helpful  service  at  the  Tabernacle  is  an  annual 
gathering  of  the  parents  of  the  children  in  the  Sunday-schools. 
These  schools  are  conducted  with  so  much  energy,  wisdom,  and 


DEVISING    LIBERAL   THINGS.  II7 

efficiency,  that  they  have  no  need  to  resort  to  treats  and  prizes  to 
induce  the  children  to  come.  They  attend  in  multitudes ;  and  the 
money  usually  spent  in  treats  and  prizes  is  devoted  to  give  the 
parents  of  the  children  a  free  tea,  which  brings  them  into  personal 
contact  with  Mr.  Spurgeon  and  the  teachers,  and  so  a  mutual  sym- 
pathy and  affection  is  awakened  and  sustained,  and  the  parents 
help  the  teachers  in  their  work. 

The  Twelfth  Annual  Conference  of  the  Pastors'  College  was  held 
during  the  week  commencing  on  Monday,  April  3d.  It  was  a  time 
of  blessing  and  encouragement  to  all  who  took  part  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. The  inaugural  address  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  based  upon 
the  clause  in  the  creed,  "  I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,"  was  able, 
lucid,  and  instructive.  During  the  conference,  Mr.  Phillips  gave 
his  annual  supper,  at  wdiich  the  spontaneous  gifts  to  the  College 
reached  ten  thousand  dollars.  In  writing  brief  notes  of  that  con- 
ference Mr.  Spurgeon  adds :  "  Our  brain  refuses  to  dictate  more. 
If  our  friends  would  earnestly  ask  for  us  more  health  and  more 
grace  we  should  be  deeply  grateful." 

Deeply  did  Mr.  Spurgeon  feel  the  need  of  prayer  at  that  time; 
for  the  illness  which  he  felt  coming  on  lasted  for  three  months, 
and  was  to  him  and  to  his  church  a  heavy  loss  and  severe  trial. 
The  patient  pastor  poured  forth  his  complaint  in  the  first  article 
in  his  magazine  for  May,  under  the  title,  "  Laid  Aside.  Why?  " 
In  this  touching  fragment  from  his  pen  he  remarks :  "  When  the 
Lord  is  using  a  man  for  His  glory  it  is  singular  that  He  should  all 
of  a  sudden  smite  him  down  and  suspend  his  usefulness.  It  must 
be  right,  but  the  reason  for  it  does  not  lie  near  the  surface.  How 
is  it  that  a  heart  eager  for  the  welfare  of  men  and  the  glory  of  God 
should  find  itself  hampered  by  a  sickly  frame,  and  checked  in  its 
utmost  usefulness  by  attacks  of  painful  disease?  We  may  ask  the 
question,  if  we  do  so  without  murmuring;  but  who  shall  answer 
it  for  us?  We  are  content  to  leave  a  thousand  mysteries  unsolved 
rather  than  tolerate  a  single  doubt  as  to  the  wisdom  and  goodness 
of  our  Heavenly  Father." 

On  Lord's-day  evening,  July  i6th,  the  great  Tabernacle  was  de- 
serted by  its  regular  attendants,  by  the  special  desire  of  Mr.  Spur- 
geon, who  wished  to  throw  open  the  place  for  a  free  service  to 


Il8  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    U.    SPURGEON. 

strangers.  None  of  the  seat-holders  were  present,  —  or  not  more 
than  half  a  dozen,  —  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  considered  "splendid 
discipline,  worthy  of  the  best-trained  army,  —  the  discipline  of 
love  " :  and  he  very  sincerely  thanked  the  seat-holders  for  vacat- 
ing their  places  so  unanimously  that  the  poor  might  hear  the  gos- 
pel preached  to  them  in  comfort,  without  even  a  collection.  "The 
Tabernacle  was  as  full  as  a  barrel  packed  with  herrings,"  and  the 
heat  was  intense.  Much  prayer  was  offered  at  various  meetings ; 
and  the  officers  had  a  baptism  of  fire  from  heaven  in  offering, 
prayer  before  the  doors  were  opened.  They  also  held  three 
prayer-meetings  and  an  out-door  service  to  the  crowds  who  could 
not  get  within  the  building.  Much  good  was  done,  many  sin- 
ners were  awakened,  and  additions  to  the  church  followed.  The 
experiment  was  repeated  on  Sunday,  October  22d,  three  months 
afterwards ;  and  this  has  now  become  an  established  service 
periodically.  The  object  of  these  evangelistic  services  is  to  lay 
hold  of  those  who  inhabit  a  world  outside  the  Church,  ignoring 
the  existence  of  church  or  chapel,  or  even  of  religion  itself.  Of 
these  there  are  multitudes  amongst  both  rich  and  poor.  After 
each  service  a  number  of  inquirers  come  forward,  desiring  further 
instruction   in  matters  concerning  salvation. 

The  weekly  baptismal  service  at  the  Tabernacle  on  Monday, 
June  26,  1876,  was  one  which  awakened  deep  feelings  of  gratitude 
in  the  breast  of  the  pastor.  Amongst  those  who  were  baptized 
were  three  friends  who  were  led  to  confess  the  Saviour  through 
the  preaching  of  the  pastor's  two  sons,  Charles  and  Thomas  Spur- 
geon, the  first-fruits  of  their  useful  ministry.  Who  could  refuse  to 
pray,  "  God  bless  the  lads  "  ? 

During  half  of  the  month  of  August  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  rambling 
in  Scotland  amongst  "  Highland  cattle,  sea-gulls,  herrings,  and 
heather."  He  went  north  in  search  of  rest,  was  away  thirteen 
days,  and  had  fifty  invitations  to  preach.  He  yielded  four  times 
to  the  entreaty  of  friends.  On  Sabbath,  August  13th,  he  preached 
at  Blairmore  to  an  immense  out-door  company,  gathered  from  all 
the  surrounding  towns.  The  two  services  there  were  happy  occa- 
sions, and  much  Christian  fellowship  was  shown  by  the  Scotch 
brethren  to  the  Metropolitan  pastor. 


DEVISING   LIBERAL  THINGS.  1 19 

Seeking  by  all  possible  means  to  rescue  the  perishing,  a  series 
of  special  revival  services  were  commenced  in  the  Tabernacle  on 
Monday,  October  30th,  conducted  by  the  College  students,  hoping 
thereby  to  benefit  the  church,  which  so  greatly  promotes  the  use- 
fulness of  the  College  by  its  weekly  offerings.  The  services  were 
only  intended  for  one  week,  but  the  meetings  were  seasons  of 
so  much  blessing  that  they  were  continued  to  November  loth, 
.  Various  means  were  used  for  gathering  in  the  people  to  hear  the 
Word,  and  occasionally  a  band  of  students  resorted  to  the  "  high- 
ways," and  by  singing  and  preaching  compelled  them  to  come  in. 
Deep  earnestness  characterized  both  speakers  and  hearers,  and  on 
every  evening  the  young  brethren  had  to  rejoice  over  some  sinners 
brought  to  repentance.  On  Thursday  afternoon,  November  2d,  the 
students  held  a  fellowship  meeting  to  seek  a  blessing  on  them- 
selves  and  their  work.  In  the  evening  Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  to 
them.  The  Master  was  manifestly  present,  and  all  were  blessed 
by  the  service.  There  were  one  hundred  and  ten  students  in  the 
College  when  they  re-assembled  in  the  autumn. 

On  Tuesday,  December  12th,  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  at  Nottingham, 
and  preached  two  of  the  opening  sermons  in  Mr.  Silverton's  new 
chapel,  which  he  has  appropriately  named  Exeter  Hall.  It  is  a 
building  of  great  capacity,  substantial  and  elegant.  It  seats  two 
thousand  people,  yet  cost  only  $23,500,  apart  from  the  site.  Mr. 
Spurgeon  said  of  the  services  of  that  day:  "The  giving  and  the 
hearing  were  of  the  most  enthusiastic  order,  the  amount  contrib- 
uted being  one  thousand  dollars." 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1876  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  assailed  by 
some  newspapers  in  an  almost  savage  manner  for  a  prayer  whicli 
he  offered  one  Sunday  morning,  that  the  Lord  would  preserve 
peace,  and  if  our  rulers  would  not  learn  wisdom,  to  remove  them. 
He  did  not  trouble  much  about  the  abuse  of  the  press,  knowing 
that  it  is  only  when  he  exposes  evil  and  injustice  that  a  clamor  is 
raised.  Their  fierce  language  was  unheeded,  for  he  received  a 
letter  from  Austria,  informing  him  that  the  words  of  his  prayer 
had  been  translated  into  German  and  Servian,  and  had  been 
printed  in  most  of  the  newspapers  in  those  languages,  the  read- 
ers there  rejoicing  to  think  that  there  was  one  man  in  England 


120  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

who  seemed  to  comprehend  the  atrocities  suffered  by  the  victims 
of  Turkish  barbarism. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  College  evening  classes  was  held  at 
the  Tabernacle  on  December  22d.  By  means  of  these  classes  two 
hundred  men  who  are  working  all  day  receive  such  educational 
advantages  as  they  require ;  thus  they  do  not  forget  the  Lord's 
work. 

During  the  year,  no  less  than  thirty-three  students  had  been 
appointed  to  churches,  four  of  whom  have  gone  into  the  work 
abroad,  —  namely,  one  to  Australia,  one  to  New  Zealand,  one  to 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  one  to  Basle,  Switzerland.  Very 
gratifying  reports  have  already  been  received  from  many  of  those 
new  curates  of  church  work.  It  is  deserving  of  record  that  no 
less  than  sixty  Baptist  churches  in  and  around  London  have  been, 
or  now  are,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  students  from  the  Pastors' 
College.  More  than  half  the  number  are  entirely  new  churches, 
raised  out  of  the  world,  and  amongst  them  are  some  of  the  largest 
and  most  prosperous  churches  in  the  denomination.  About 
twenty  students  were  sent  out  during  the  first  half  of  the  year 
1877. 

Several  times  during  the  spring  of  the  year  1877  large  audiences 
of  merchants  and  business  men  assembled  in  the  great  hall  at 
the  Cannon-street  Hotel,  and  at  the  Friends'  Meeting-house  in 
Bishopsgate  Street,  to  hear  addresses  from  Mr.  Spurgeon  on  ques- 
tions of  commercial  morality  and  personal  salvation.  About  two 
thousand  persons  gathered  at  midday  on  each  occasion  to  hear 
the  words  of  faithful  warning  and  affectionate  invitation.  The 
addresses  which  were  delivered  have  been  published  at  one  penny 
each,  with  the  titles  "  The  Claims  of  God  "  and  "  Faith  in  Christ." 

For  more  than  eighty  years  the  annual  sermon  before  the  Lon- 
don Missionary  Society  was  preached  in  Rowland  Hill's  chapel. 
The  last  of  the  series  in  the  old  sanctuary  was  preached  in 
May,  1876.  Thereafter  the  official  sermon  was  expected  to  be 
preached  in  Christ  Church,  Westminster  Road,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon 
was  selected  as  the  preacher  of  the  first  sermon  of  the  new  series. 
In  the  course  of  the  sermon  he  said  some  plain  things  about 
preachers  who  discoursed  on  subjects  which  were  not  the  gospel 


DEVISING   LIBERAL   THINGS.  121 

of  salvation,  and  sometimes  were  even  opposed  to  it.  A  spirit 
of  controversy  followed,  as  is  usual,  but  Mr.  Spurgeon  wisely  left 
his  critics  to  entertain  their  own  opinions,  unquestioned  by  him- 
self. 

No  minister  knows  better  than  Mr.  Spurgeon  the  advantages  to 
a  Christian  church  of  having  work  for  every  member,  and  seeing 
that  the  work  is  done.  It  was  no  surprise  to  many  of  the  friends 
at  the  Tabernacle  when,  in  the  spring  of  1877,  ^  special  mission 
was  inaugurated  for  those  young  ladies  who  have  leisure,  cul- 
ture, and  refined  taste ;  hence  a  flower  mission  was  commenced. 
Friends  in  the  country  send  boxes  of  cut  flowers  every  Wednesday 
to  the  Tabernacle,  when  young  ladies  arrange  them,  and  append 
to  them  appropriate  texts  from  the  Bible,  and  these  are  immedi- 
ately distributed,  free,  to  the  hospitals  in  London,  where  they  are 
welcomed  with  the  utmost  delight  by  the  poor  afflicted  inmates, 
and  many  a  blessing  is  invoked  on  the  committee  who  distribute 
them  as  well  as  on  those  who  donate  the  flowers. 

The  inventive  spirit  has  long  been  in  active  exercise  at  the 
Tabernacle ;  hence  the  variety  of  agencies  which  exist  in  that 
church,  which  are,  many  of  them,  unknown  in  most  other  church 
organizations.  There  is  a  Baptist  Country  Mission  which  pro- 
vides, under  Mr.  Spurgeon's  direction,  young  brethren  who  visit 
villages  and  country  towns  near  London,  who  labor  to  raise  new 
churches  in  them.  These  earnest  young  men  are  always  ready 
to  enter  on  any  opening  by  preaching  on  the  village  green,  or  in 
a  cottage  or  room.  There  is  also  the  Tabernacle  Evangelists' 
Society,  which  finds  speakers  for  special  services  in  London,  and 
works  in  connection  with  the  churches.  These  do  not  restrict 
themselves  to  any  denomination,  but  cheerfully  aid  all  pastors  who 
are  willing  to  accept  their  help  for  a  short  period,  or  a  series  of 
meetings.  They  carry  on  open-air  preaching  and  lodging-house 
visitation.     These  are  branches  of  home-missionary  work. 

Our  social  festivals  are  always  occasions  of  joy,  but  how  gener- 
ally do  they  partake  largely  of  selfishness  !  Mr.  Spurgeon  has 
discovered  the  way  to  combine  the  highest  amount  of  personal 
happiness  with  the  most  extensive  benevolence  and  philanthropy. 
Who  but  a  man  with  a  large  heart  and  unbounded  sympathy  could 


122  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

have  conceived  the  plan,  and  so  successfully  have  carried  it  out,  of 
•-elebrating  the  anniversary  of  his  birth  by  devoting  aU  the  gifts 
which  loving  friends  bestowed,  to  feed  the  orphan  and  relieve 
distress? 

Still  suffering  from  the  weakness  which  follows  long-contin- 
ued pain,  yet  no  one  was  more  happy  than  Pastor  Spurgeon  on 
June  1$,  1877,  when  he  kept  his  forty-third  birthday.  Some 
thousands  of  attached  personal  friends,  and  friends  of  the  orphan, 
gathered  that  day  at  Stockwell  Orphanage.  The  day  was  fine; 
the  gentle  zephyrs  wafted  pleasantly  over  the  enclosed  grounds, 
joy  sat  on  every  countenance,  and  a  spirit  of  generosity  seemed 
to  animate  every  breast.  The  orphans  and  their  guardians  met 
likewise  to  unite  their  loving  congratulations  to  the  President  of 
the  Institution :  this  feeling  of  sympathy  and  kindliness  being 
freely  manifested  by  hosts  of  Tabernacle  worshippers,  and  by 
kind  friends  from  the  locality.  In  the  afternoon  the  pastor 
preached  a  short  sermon  in  the  covered  playground  from  Gen. 
XXX.  27,  in  which  he  testified  that  "  I  have  learned  by  experience 
that  the  Lord  hath  blessed  me  for  thy  sake,"  and  he  acknowledged 
having  received  countless  blessings  through  his  faithful  people. 

An  open-air  meeting  was  held  in  the  evening  on  the  grass, 
presided  over  by  Thomas  Blake,  Esq.,  M.P.,  who  was  ably  sup- 
ported by  the  Rev.  M'Connell  Hussey,  a  neighboring  clergyman, 
and  other  friends.  In  the  calm  air  Mr.  Spurgeon  sat  on  the 
platform  without  his  hat,  when  his  son  Charles  was  called  on  to 
speak.  He  referred  to  his  father's  sufferings  from  the  gout,  and 
added,  "  There  he  sits  without  his  hat,  but  he  has  a  will  of  his 
own."  Immediately  the  hat  went  on ;  so  his  own  will  at  once 
became  the  will  of  the  multitude,  all  of  whom  were  his  well- 
wishers.  The  pastor  himself  announced  that  he  had  that  morning 
received  seventy-one  letters  of  congratulation,  all  containing  help 
for  the  orphans,  besides  which  one  friend  had  sent  him  £4;^  (two 
hundred  and  fifteen  dollars),  to  tally  with  the  number  of  his  years, 
and  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  institution  had  sent  a  similar 
amount.  Mr.  Spurgeon  commended  very  highly  the  management 
of  his  brother  and  Mr.  Charlesworth  in  superintending  the  Orphan- 
age,   and   of  the  working  staff  he   said  he   could   not  wish  them 


DEVISING   LIBERAL   THINGS.  I23 

to  be  better,  as  they  would  then  be  too  good  for  work  on  earth, 
and  he  assured  the  meeting  that  the  business  of  the  Orphanage 
was  so  well  conducted  that  it  gave  the  President  only  the  mini- 
mum of  care ;  and  he  sincerely  thanked  the  numerous  donors 
who  during  the  day  brought  in  to  the  treasurer  nearly  two  thou- 
sand dollars. 

The  month  of  January,  1879,  will  long  be  remembered.  Having 
completed  the  twenty-fifth  year  of  his  pastorate,  it  was  decided 
to  celebrate  the  occasion,  which  was  termed  THE  PASTORAL  Sil- 
ver Wedding,  by  presenting  Mr.  Spurgeon  with  a  liberal  testi- 
monial. The  amount  proposed  to  be  raised  was  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars.  A  large  bazaar  was  opened,  which  was  well 
supported,  and  with  the  subscription  lists  the  proceeds  exceeded 
the  amount  originally  proposed. 

With  his  usual  large-heartedness  he  declined  accepting  the 
amount  for  his  private  benefit.  There  was  one  important  insti- 
tution connected  with  the  Tabernacle  that  needed  to  be  placed 
on  a  surer  footing,  and  this  was  a  fitting  opportunity  for  securing 
that  end.  The  Almshouses,  affording  homes  for  nineteen  poor 
widows,  required  a  more  permanent  support,  and  all  the  proceeds 
of  the  "  Pastoral  Silver  Wedding  Fund "  were  devoted  to  this 
laudable  object,  thereby  insuring  its  future  maintenance. 

May  the  perusal  of  the  brief  personal  history  of  this  earnest, 
unselfish,  laborious  man  stir  many  to  inquire,  "  Lord,  what  wilt 
Thou  have  ME  to  do?  " 


124  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.   H.   SPURGEON. 


PSALM   XLIV. 

Our  ears  have  heard,  O  glorious  God, 

What  work  Thou  didst  of  old ; 
And  how  the  heathen  felt  Thy  rod 
Our  fathers  oft  have  told. 

'T  was  not  Thy  people's  arm  or  sword. 

But  only  Thy  right  hand 
Which  scattered  all  the  race  abhorred, 

And  gave  Thy  tribes  their  land. 

Thou  hadst  a  favor  to  the  seed 

Which  sprang  of  Jacob's  line  ; 
And  still  on  men  afore  decreed 

Doth  love  electing  shine. 

These  shall  the  heritage  obtain. 

And  drive  out  every  sin  ; 
E'en  death  and  hell  shall  rage  in  vain,  — 

They  tnust  the  conquest  win. 

From  grace  alone  their  strength  shall  spring, 

Nor  bow  nor  sword  can  save ; 
To  God  alone,  their  Lord  and  King, 

Shall  all  their  banners  wave. 

Awake,  O  Lord,  of  Thine  elect, 

Achieve  Thy  great  design  ; 
Thy  saints  from  Thee  alone  expect 

Salvation's  light  to  shine. 

In  Thee  alone  we  make  our  boasts. 

And  glory  all  day  long  ; 
Arise  at  once,  thou  Lord  of  hosts, 

And  fill  our  mouth  with  song. 

C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


XI. 

THE  METROPOLITAN  TABERNACLE. 


Living  in  the  midst  of  the  church  of  God  is  like  sailing  down  the  Nile  in  a 
boat.  One  is  charmed  with  the  luxuriance  of  either  bank,  and  with  much  that 
is  beautiful  immediately  around;  but,  alas!  at  a  little  distance  on  either  side 
lies  a  vast  uncultivated,  we  had  almost  said  hopeless,  desert.  Some  are  at  rest 
because  they  never  look  beyond  the  borders  of  the  church ;  but  those  whose 
sympathies  reach  to  all  humanity  will  have  to  carry  a  life-long^  "burden  of  the 
Lord." — C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


THE    METROPOLITAN  TABERNACLE. 


THE  history  of  the  church  of  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  overseer 
contains  a  record  of  information  and  interest  peculiar  to 
itself  For  two  hundred  and  thirty  years  it  has  stood  the  test, 
and.  some  of  the  best  leaders  and  teachers  of  Christendom  have 
ministered  the  Word  of  life  to  its  members.  For  many  years  a 
pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon  its  present  pastor  to  furnish 
to  the  public  every  possible  information  regarding  its  origin, 
growth,  and  work.  Notwithstanding  his  arduous  labors,  he  has 
responded  to  this  legitimate  inquiry,  and  in  a  book  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  pages  has  sketched  the  early  history  of  the 
Baptists,  the  founding  of  the  church,  the  successive  pastors,  and  its 
present  participation  in  the  various  branches  of  education,  charity, 
evangelization,  and  missionary  operations  with  which  it  stands 
connected.  Thus  Mr.  Spurgeon  prefaces  his  history  of  the  Metro- 
politan Tabernacle :  — 

When  modest  ministers  submit  their  sermons  to  the  press  they 
usually  place  upon  the  titlepage  the  words,  "  Printed  by  request." 
We  might  with  emphatic  truthfulness  have  pleaded  this  apology 
for  the  present  narrative,  for,  time-  without  number,  friends  from 
all  parts  of  the  world  have  said :  "  Have  you  no  book  which  will 
tell  us  all  about  your  work?  Could  you  not  give  us  some  printed 
summary  of  the  Tabernacle  history?"  Here  it  is,  dear  friends, 
and  we  hope  it  will  satisfy  your  curiosity  and  deepen  your  kindly 
interest. 


128  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

The  best  excuse  for  writing  a  history  is  that  there  is  something 
to  tell,  and,  unless  we  are  greatly  mistaken,  the  facts  here  placed  on 
record  are  well  worthy  of  being  known.  In  us  they  have  aroused 
fervent  emotions  of  gratitude,  and  in  putting  them  together  our 
faith  in  God  has  been  greatly  established ;  we  hope,  therefore, 
that  in  some  measure  our  readers  will  derive  the  same  benefit. 
Strangers  cannot  be  expected  to  feel  an  equal  interest  with  our- 
selves, but  our  fellow  members,  our  co-workers,  our  hundreds  of 
generous  helpers,  and  the  large  circle  of  our  hearty  sympathizers 
cannot  read  our  summary  of  the  Lord's  dealings  with  us  without 
stimulus  and  encouragement. 

Our  young  people  ought  to  be  told  by  their  fathers  the  won- 
drous things  which  God  did  in  their  day  "  and  in  the  old  time 
before  them."  Such  things  are  forgotten  if  they  are  not  every 
now  and  then  rehearsed  anew  in  the  ears  of  fresh  generations. 
"  Why  should  the  wonders  He  hath  wrought  be  lost  in  silence 
and  forgot?"  We  feel  that  we  only  discharge  a  duty  to  the 
present  and  coming  generations  when  we  use  our  pen  for  such  a 
purpose. 

May  the  reader's  belief  in  prayer  be  increased,  and  his  reliance 
upon  God  strengthened,  as  he  reads  our  testimony;  and  should  he 
unhappily  be  as  yet  unconverted,  may  he  be  led  to  believe  in  God, 
to  rest  in  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus,  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  people 
of  God. 

Brethren  who  have  helped  us  so  long,  support  our  enterprises 
still  by  your  prayers,  your  efforts,  and  your  gifts,  and  so  shall  our 
Zion  become  increasingly  a  praise  in  the  earth.  To  the  Triune 
God  be  praise  that  for  two  centuries  His  mercy  has  surrounded 
this  portion  of  His  Church,  and  that  "  His  hand  is  stretched  out 
still." 

This  church  was  born  in  stormy  times,  when  mayors  and  mobs 
were  formidable  foes  of  all  who  believed  in  the  crown  rights  of 
King  Jesus.  The  practice  of  the  Baptists  in  dipping  was  spe- 
cially obnoxious  to  the  bigots  who  plied  hard  the  argument  that 
it  was  wicked  to  immerse  persons  in  cold  weather.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
goes  on  with  the  histor)-,  which  we  abridge :  — 


THE    METROl'OLriAN    TAliERNACLE.  1 29 

Moved  by  the  feeling  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  State  to  keep 
men's  consciences  in  proper  order,  the  Parhament  set  to  work  to 
curb  the  wicked  sectaries,  and  Dr.  Stoughton  tells  us :  "  By  the 
Parliamentary  ordinance  of  April,  1645,  forbidding  any  person  to 
preach  who  was  not  an  ordained  minister,  in  the  Presbyterian, 
or  some  other  reformed  church,  —  all  Baptist  ministers  became 
exposed  to  molestation,  they  being  accounted  a  sect,  and  not  a 
church.  A  few  months  after  the  date  of  this  law,  the  Baptists 
being  pledged  to  a  public  controversy  in  London  with  Edmund 
Calamy,  the  Lord  Mayor  interfered  to  prevent  the  disputation, — 
a  circumstance  which  seems  to  show  that,  on  the  one  hand,  the 
Baptists  were  becoming  a  formidable  body  in  London,  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  that  their  fellow-citizens  were  highly  exasperated 
against  them."  Or,  say  rather,  that  the  Lord  Mayor's  views  not 
being  those  of  the  Baptists,  he  feared  the  sturdy  arguments  which 
would  be  brought  to  bear  upon  his  friends,  and  concluded  that  the 
wisest  course  he  could  take  was  to  prevent  the  truth  being  heard. 
No  Lord  Mayor,  or  even  King,  has  any  right  to  forbid  free  public 
speech,  and  when  in  past  ages  an  official  has  done  so,  it  is  no 
evidence  that  his  fellow-citizens  were  of  the  same  mind :  Jack-in- 
office  is  often  peculiarly  anxious  that  the  consciences  of  others 
should  not  be  injured  by  hearing  views  different  from  his  own. 

From  some  one  of  the  many  Baptist  assemblies  which  met  in  the 
borough  of  Southwark,  the  Tabernacle  Church  took  its  rise.  Cros- 
by says :  "  This  people  had  formerly  belonged  to  one  of  the  most 
ancient  congregations  of  the  Baptists  in  London,  but  separated 
from  them,  in  the  year  1652,  for  some  practices  which  they  judged 
disorderly,  and  kept  together  from  that  time  as  a  distinct  body." 
They  appear  to  have  met  in  private  houses,  or  in  such  other  build- 
ings as  were  open  to  them.  Their  first  pastor  was  WiLLIAM 
Rider,  whom  Crosby  mentions  as  a  sufferer  for  conscience'  sake, 
but  he  is  altogether  unable  to  give  any  further  particulars  of  his 
life,  except  that  he  published  a  small  tract  in  vindication  of  the 
practice  of  laying  on  of  hands  on  the  baptized  believers.  The 
people  were  few  in  number,  but  had  the  reputation  of  being  men 
of  solid  judgment,  deep  knowledge,  and  religious  stability,  and 
many  of  them  were   also    in   easy  circumstances    as   to  worldly 

9 


130  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

goods.  Oliver  Cromwell  was  just  at  that  time  in  the  ascendant, 
and  Blake's  cannon  were  sweeping  the  Dutch  from  the  seas ;  but 
the  Presbyterian  establishment  ruled  with  a  heavy  hand,  and  Bap- 
tists were  under  a  cloud.  In  the  following  year  Cromwell  was 
made  Protector,  the  old  Parliament  was  sent  about  its  business, 
and  England  enjoyed  a  large  measure  of  liberty  of  conscience. 

How  long  William  Rider  exercised  the  ministerial  office  we  are 
unable  to  tell,  but  our  next  record  bears  date  1668,  when  we  are 
informed  that,  "  the  pastor  having  been  dead  for  some  time,  they 
unanimously  chose  Mr.  Benjamin  Keach  to  be  their  elder  or 
pastor."  Accordingly  he  was  solemnly  ordained  with  prayer  and 
the  laying  on  of  hands  in  the  year  1668,  being  in  the  twenty-eighth 
year  of  his  age.  Keach  was  one  of  the  most  notable  of  the  pas- 
tors of  our  church.  He  was  continually  engaged  in  preaching  in 
the  towns  of  Buckinghamshire,  making  Winslow  his  headquarters ; 
and  so  well  did  the  good  cause  flourish  under  his  zealous  labors, 
and  those  of  others,  that  the  Government  quartered  dragoons  in 
the  district  in  order  to  put  down  unlawful  meetings  and  stamp 
out  dissent.  The  amount  of  suffering  which  this  involved,  the 
readers  of  the  story  of  the  Covenanting  times  in  Scotland  can 
readily  imagine.  A  rough  soldiery  handle  with  little  tenderness 
those  whom  they  consider  to  be  miserable  fanatics.  When  the 
favorite  court  poet  was  lampooning  these  poor  people  and  ridi- 
culing their  claims  to  be  guided  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  common 
soldiers  of  the  Cavalier  order  were  not  likely  to  be  much  under 
restraint  in  their  behavior  to  them. 

Having  written  a  book  called  "  The  Child's  Instructor,"  in  which 
he  avowed  that  children  are  born  in  sin,  and  in  need  of  redemp- 
tion by  Jesus  Christ,  he  was  publicly  tried  and  convicted.  The 
merciful  ( ?)  judge  pronounced  upon  the  culprit  the  following 
sentence :  — 

"  Benjamin  Keach,  you  are  here  convicted  for  writing,  printing, 
and  publishing  a  seditious  and  schismatical  book,  for  which  the 
court's  judgment  is  this,  and  the  court  doth  award :  That  you 
shall  go  to  jail  for  a  fortnight  without  bail  or  mainprize;  and 
the  next  Saturday  to  stand  upon  the  pillory  at  Aylesbury  in  the 
open  market,  from  eleven  o'clock  till  one,  with  a  paper  upon  your 


Benjamin  Keach. 


THE    METROPOLITAN    TABERNACLE. 


I^.l 


head  with  this  inscription  :  Forzvriting,  printing,  and  publishing  a 
schismatical  book,  entitled  The  Child s  Instructor ;  or,  a  New  and 
Easy  Primer.  And  the  next  Thursday  to  stand,  in  the  same 
manner  and  for  the  sam.e  time,  in  the  market  at  Winslow;  and 
then  your  book  shall  be  openly  burnt  before  your  face  by  the 
common  hangman,  in  disgrace  of  you  and  your  doctrine.  And 
you  shall  forfeit  to  the  King's  majesty  the  sum  of  twenty  pounds, 
and  shall  remain  in  jail  until  you  find  sureties  for  your  good 
behavior,  and   for  your  appearance   at  the  next  assizes;    then  to 


Benjamin  Keach  in  the  Pillory. 

renonncc  your  doctrines,  and  make  such  public  submission  as  shall 
be  enjoined  you.     Take  him  away,  keeper !  " 

Keach  simply  replied,  "  I  hope  I  shall  never  renounce  the  truths 
which  I  have  written  in  that  book." 

The  attempts  made  to  obtain  a  pardon  or  a  relaxation  of  this 
severe  sentence  were  ineffectual ;  and  the  sheriff  took  care  that 
everything  should  be  punctually  performed. 

When  he  was  brought  to  the  pillory  at  Aylesbury,  several  of 
his  religious  friends  and  acquaintances  accompanied  him ;  and 
when  they  bemoaned  his  hard  case  and  the  injustice  of  his  suf- 


132  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    IL    SPURGEON. 

ferings,  he  said  with  a  cheerful  countenance,  "  The  cross  is  the 
way  to  the  crown."  His  head  and  hands  were  no  sooner  placed 
in  the  pillory,  but  he  began  to  address  himself  to  the  spectators, 
to  this  effect:  "Good  people,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  stand  here 
this  day,  with  this  paper  on  my  head  !  My  Lord  Jesus  was  not 
ashamed  to  suffer  on  the  cross  for  me ;  and  it  is  for  His  cause 
that  I  am  made  a  gazing-stock.  Take  notice,  it  is  not  for  any 
wickedness  that  I  stand  here;  but  for  writing  and  publishing 
those  truths  which  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  hath  revealed  in  the 
Holy   Scriptures." 

Very  sweetly  did  Mr.  Keach  preach  the  great  fundamental  truths 
of  the  gospel,  and  glorify  the  name  and  work  of  Jesus.  His  "  Gos- 
pel Mine  Opened,"  and  other  works  rich  in  savor,  show  that  he 
was  no  mere  stickler  for  a  point  of  ceremony,  but  one  who  loved 
the  whole  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  felt  its  power.  The  doctrine 
of  the  Second  Advent  evidently  had  great  charms  for  him,  but 
not  so  as  to  crowd  out  Christ  crucified.  He  was  very  solid  in  his 
preaching,  and  his  whole  conduct  and  behavior  betokened  a  man 
deeply  in  earnest  for  the  cause  of  God.  In  addressing  the  un- 
godly he  was  intensely  direct,  solemn,  and  impressive,  not  flinch- 
ing to  declare  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,  nor  veiling  the  freeness  of 
divine  grace.  He  was  a  voluminous  writer,  having  written  in  all 
forty-three  works, — eighteen  practical,  sixteen  polemical,  and  nine 
poetical.  Some  of  them  were  very  popular,  having  reached  the 
twenty-second  edition. 

Mr.  Keach  was  of  a  very  weak  constitution,  being  often  afflicted 
with  illness,  and  once  to  such  a  degree  that  he  was  given  over  by 
the  physicians ;  and  several  of  the  ministers,  and  his  relations,  had 
taken  their  leave  of  him  as  a  dying  man  and  past  all  hope  of  recov- 
ery; but  the  Reverend  Mr.  Hanserd  Knollys,  seeing  his  friend  and 
brother  in  the  gospel  so  near  expiring,  betook  himself  to  prayer, 
and  in  a  very  extraordinary  manner  begged  that  God  would  spare 
him,  and  add  unto  his  days  the  time  He  granted  to  His  servant 
Hezekiah.  As  soon  as  he  had  ended  his  prayer,  he  said,  "  Brother 
Keach,  I  shall  be  in  heaven  before  you,"  and  quickly  after  left  him. 
So  remarkable  was  the  answer  of  God  to  this  good  man's  prayer, 
that  we  cannot  omit  it ;  though  it  may  be  discredited  by  some,  there 


THE   METROPOLITAN  TABERNACLE.  1 33 

were  many  who  could  bear  incontestable  testimony  to  the  fact. 
Mr.  Keach  recovered  of  that  illness,  and  lived  just  fifteen  years 
afterwards ;  and  then  it  pleased  God  to  visit  him  with  that  short 
sickness  which  put  an  end  to  his  days.  He  "fell  on  sleep"  July  16, 
1704,  in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried  at  the 
Baptists'  bur)'ing-ground,  in  the  Park,  Southwark.  It  was  not  a 
little  singular  that  in  after  years  the  church  over  which  he  so  ably 
presided  should  pitch  its  tent  so  near  the  place  where  his  bones 
were  laid,  and  New  Tark  Street  should  appear  in  her  annals  as  a 
well-beloved  name. 

When  Mr.  Keach  was  upon  his  death-bed  he  sent  for  his  son- 
in-law,  Benjamin  Stinton,  and  solemnly  charged  him  to  care  for 
the  church  which  he  was  about  to  leave,  and  especially  urged  him 
to  accept  the  pastoral  office,  should  it  be  offered  to  him  by  the 
brethren.  Mr.  Stinton  had  already  for  some  years  helped  his 
father-in-law  in  many  ways,  and  therefore  he  was  no  new  and 
untried  man.  It  is  no  small  blessing  when  a  church  can  find  her 
pastors  in  her  own  midst;  the  rule  is  to  look  abroad,  but  perhaps 
if  our  home  gifts  were  more  encouraged  the  Holy  Spirit  would 
cause  our  teachers  to  come  forth  more  frequently  from  among  our 
own  brethren.  Still,  we  cannot  forget  the  proverb  about  a  prophet 
in  his  own  country.  When  the  church  gave  Mr.  Stinton  a  pressing 
invitation,  he  delayed  awhile,  and  gave  himself  space  for  serious 
consideration ;  but  at  length,  remembering  the  dying  words  of  his 
father-in-law,  and  feeling  himself  directed  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  he 
gave  himself  up  to  the  ministry,  which  he  faithfully  discharged  for 
fourteen  years,  —  namely,  from  1704  to  171 8. 

Spending  himself  in  various  works  of  usefulness,  Mr.  Stinton 
worked  on  till  the  iith  of  Februar}-,  1718,  when  a  sudden  close 
was  put  to  his  labors  and  his  life.  He  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and 
saying  to  his  wife,  "  I  am  going,"  he  laid  himself  down  upon  the 
bed,  and  expired  in  the  forty-third  year  of  his  life.  He  smiled 
on  death,  for  the  Lord  smiled  on  him.  He  was  buried  near  his 
predecessor,  in  the  Park,  Southwark. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1719,  the  church  at  Horsleydown 
invited  JoliN  Gill  to  preach,  with  a  view  to  the  pastorate;  but 
there  was   a   determined  opposition  to  him   in  about  one  half  of 


134 


LIFE    AND    LABORS    OF    ('.    H.    SrURGEON. 


the  church.  The  matter  was  referred  to  the  club  of  ministers 
meeting  at  the  Hanover  Coffee-house,  and  they  gave  the  absurd 
advice  that  the  two  parties  should  each  hear  their  own  man  turn 
about  till  they  could  agree.  Common  sense  came  to  the  rescue, 
and  this  sort  of  religious  duel  never  came  off.  The  friends,  with 
far  greater  wisdom,  divided.  John  Gill's  friends  secured  the  old 
meeting-house  for  the  term  of  forty  years,  and  he  was  ordained 
March  22,  1720. 


C.\RTE1?-LANE  CHAPEL. 


Little  did  the  friends  dream  what  sort  of  man  they  had  thus 
chosen  to  be  their  teacher;  but  liad  they  known  it  they  would 
have  rejoiced  that  a  man  of  such  \'ast  erudition,  such  indefatigable 
industry,  such  sound  judgment,  and  such  sterling  honesty  had 
come  among  them.  He  was  to  be  more  mighty  with  his  pen  than 
Keach,  and  to  make  a  deeper  impression  upon  his  age,  though 
perhaps  with  the  tongue  he  was  less  powerful  than  his  eminent 
predecessor.  Early  in  his  ministry  he  had  to  take  up  the  cudgels 
for  Baptist  views  against  a  Psedobaptist  preacher  of  Rowel,  near 
Kettering,  and  he  did  so  in  a  manner  worthy  of  that  eulogium 
which  Toplady  passed  upon  him  in  reference  to  other  controver- 
sies, when  he  compared  him  to  Marlborough,  and  declared  that 
he  never  fought  a  battle  without  winnitig  it. 


THE   METRO rOLITAN   TABERNACLE.  1 35 

Mr.  Gill,  being  settled  in  London,  became  more  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  that  worthy  minister  of  the  gospel,  Mr.  John  Skepp, 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Cripplegate.  This  gentleman, 
though  he  had  not  a  liberal  education,  yet,  after  he  came  into  the 
ministry,  through  great  diligence  acquired  a  large  acquaintance 
with  the  Hebrew  tongue.  As  Mr.  Gill  had  previously  taken  great 
delight  in  the  Hebrew,  his  conversation  with  this  worthy  minister 
rekindled  a  flan.  •  of  fervent  desire  to  obtain  a  more  extensive 
knowledge  of  it,  and  especially  of  Rabbinical  learning.  Mr.  Skepp 
dying  a  year  or  tvv^o  after,  Mr.  Gill  purchased  most  of  his  Hebrew 
works,  the  Baptist  Fund  making  him  a  grant  of  eighty-seven  dollars 
for  this  purpose.  Having  obtained  the  books,  he  went  to  work  with 
great  eagerness,  reading  the  Targums  and  ancient  commentaries, 
and  in  a  course  of  between  twenty  and  thirty  years'  acquaintance 
with  these  writings  he  collected  a  large  number  of  learned  observa- 
tions. Having  also,  in  this  time,  gone  through  certain  books  of  the 
Old  Testament  and  almost  the  whole  of  the  New  Testament,  by  way 
of  exposition,  in  the  course  of  his  ministry,  he  put  all  the  expos- 
itory, critical,  and  illustrative  parts  together,  and  in  the  year  1745 
issued  proposals  for  publishing  his  "  Exposition  of  the  whole  New 
Testament,"  in  three  volumes  folio.  The  work  meeting  due  en- 
couragement, it  was  put  to  press  the  same  year,  and  was  finished, 
the  first  volume  in  1746,  the  second  in  1747,  and  the  third  in  1748. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  publication  of  this  v/ork,  in  1748,  Mr. 
Gill  received  a  diploma  from  Marischal  College,  Aberdeen,  creat- 
ing him  Doctor  in  Divinity  on  account  of  his  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures,  of  the  Oriental  languages,  and  of  Jewish  antiquities. 
When  his  deacons  in  London  congratulated  him  on  the  respect 
which  had  been  shown  him  he  thanked  them,  pleasantly  adding, 
"  I  neither  thought  it,  nor  bought  it,  nor  sought  it." 

The  ministry  of  Mr.  Gill  being  acceptable  not  only  to  his  own 
people  but  to  many  persons  of  different  denominations,  several 
gentlemen  proposed  among  themselves  to  set  up  a  week-day 
lecture,  that  they  might  have  an  opportunity  of  hearing  him. 
Accordingly  they  formed  themselves  into  a  society,  and  agreed 
to  have  a  lecture  on  Wednesday  evenings,  in  Great  Eastcheap, 
and  set  on  foot  a  subscription  to  support  it.     Upon  their  invita- 


136  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 

tion  Mr.  Gill  undertook  the  lectureship.  He  opened  it  in  the  year 
1729  with  a  discourse  or  two  on  Psalm  Ixxi.  16:  "I  will  go  in  the 
strength  of  the  Lord  God :  I  will  make  mention  of  Thy  righteous- 
ness, even  of  Thine  only."  Through  divine  grace  he  was  enabled 
to  abide  by  this  resolution  to  the  edification  of  many,  preaching 
in  Great  Eastcheap  for  more  than  twenty-six  years,  and  only  relin- 
quished the  lecture  when  the  infirmities  of  years  were  telling  upon 
him,  and  he  felt  a  great  desire  to  give  all  his  time  to  the  comple- 
tion of  his  great  expository  works. 

As  a  pastor  he  presided  over  the  flock  with  dignity  and  affec- 
tion. In  the  course  of  his  ministry  he  had  some  weak,  some 
unworthy,  and  some  very  wicked  persons  to  deal  with.  To  the 
feeble  of  the  flock  he  was  an  affectionate  friend  and  father.  He 
readily  bore  with  their  weaknesses,  failings,  and  infirmities,  and 
particularly  when  he  saw  they  were  sincerely  on  the  Lord's  side. 
A  godly  woman  visited  him  one  day,  in  great  trouble,  about  the 
singing;  for  the  clerk,  in  about  three  years,  had  introduced  two 
new  tunes.  Not  that  he  was  a  famous  singer,  or  able  to  conduct 
a  great  variety  of  song,  but  he  did  his  best.  The  young  people 
were  pleased  with  the  new  tunes ;  but  the  good  woman  could  not 
bear  the  innovation.  The  Doctor,  after  patiently  listening,  asked 
her  whether  she  understood  singing?  No,  she  said.  "What!  can't 
you  sing?"  No,  she  was  no  singer,  nor  her  aged  father  before 
her.  And  though  they  had  had  about  a  hundred  years  between 
them  to  learn  the  Old  Hundredth  tune,  they  could  not  sing  it, 
nor  any  other  tune.  The  Doctor  did  not  hurt  her  feelings  by 
telling  her  that  people  who  did  not  understand  singing  were  the 
last  who  should  complain ;  but  he  meekly  said :  "  Sister,  what 
tunes  should  you  like  us  to  sing?"  "Why,  sir,"  she  replied,  "I 
should  very  much  like  David's  tunes."  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  if  you 
will  get  David's  tunes  for  us,  we  can  then  try  to  sing  them." 
Such  weak  good  people  may  be  found  among  all  denominations 
of  Christians. 

All  the  stories  told  of  Dr.  Gill  are  somewhat  grim.  He  could 
not  come  down  to  the  level  of  men  and  women  of  the  common 
order  so  far  as  to  be  jocose ;  and  when  he  attempted  to  do  so  he 
looked  like  Hercules  with  the  distaff,  or  Goliath  threading  a  needle. 


Dr.  John  Gill. 


THE   METROPOLITAN   TABERNACLE.  1 37 

When  he  verged  upon  the  humorous  the  jokes  were  ponderous 
and  overwhelming,  burying  his  adversary  as  well  as  crushing  him. 
It  is  said  that  a  garrulous  dame  once  called  upon  him  to  find  fault 
.with  the  excessive  length  of  his  white  bands.  *'  Well,  well,"  said 
the  Doctor,  "what  do  you  think  is  the  right  length?  Take  them 
and  make  them  as  long  or  as  short  as  you  like."  The  lady 
expressed  her  delight;  she  was  sure  that  her  dear  pastor  would 
grant  her  request,  and  therefore  she  had  brought  her  scissors  with 
her,  and  would  do  the  trimming  at  once.  Accordingly,  snip,  snip, 
and  the  thing  was  done,  and  the  bibs  returned.  "  Now,"  said  the 
Doctor,  "  my  good  sister,  you  must  do  me  a  good  turn  also." 
"Yes,  that  I  will,  Doctor.  What  can  it  be?"  "Well,  you  have 
something  about  you  which  is  a  deal  too  long,  and  causes  me  no 
end  of  trouble,  and  I  should  like  to  see  it  shorter."  "  Indeed,  dear 
sir,  I  will  not  hesitate,"  said  the  dame;  "what  is  it?  Here  are  the 
scissors,  use  them  as  you  please."  "  Come,  then,"  said  the  pastor, 
"  good  sister,  put  out  your  totigiie  ! ''  We  have  often  pictured  him 
sitting  in  the  old  chair,  which  is  preserved  in  our  vestry,  and  thus 
quietly  rebuking  the  gossip. 

The  comparative  asperity  of  his  manner  was  probably  the  result 
of  his  secluded  habits,  and  also  of  that  sturdy  firmness  of  mind, 
which  in  other  directions  revealed  itself  so  admirably.  When  he 
was  once  warned  that  the  publication  of  a  certain  book  would  lose 
him  many  supporters  and  reduce  his  income,  he  did  not  hesitate  for 
a  moment,  but  replied  :  "  Do  not  tell  me  of  losing.  I  value  nothing 
in  comparison  with  gospel  truth.     I  am  not  afraid  to  be  poor !  " 

The  mighty  commentator  having  been  followed  to  his  grave  by 
his  attached  church  and  a  great  company  of  ministers  and  Chris- 
tian people,  among  whom  he  had  been  regarded  as  a  great  man 
and  a  prince  in  Israel,  his  church  began  to  look  around  for  a 
successor.  This  time,  as  in  the  case  of  Dr.  Gill,  there  was  trouble 
in  store,  for  there  was  division  of  opinion.  Some,  no  doubt,  as 
true  Gillites,  looked  only  for  a  solid  divine,  sound  in  doctrine,  who 
would  supply  the  older  saints  with  spiritual  food ;  while  another 
party  had  an  eye  to  the  growth  of  the  church  and  to  the  securing 
to  the  flock  the  younger  members  of  their  families.  They  were 
agreed  that  they  would  write  to  Bristol  for  a  probationer,  and  Mr. 


138  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

John  Rippon  was  sent  to  them.  He  was  a  youth  of  some  twenty 
summers,  of  a  vivacious  temperament,  quick  and  bold.  The  older 
members  judged  him  to  be  too  young  and  too  flighty;  they  even 
accused  him  of  having  gone  up  the  pulpit  stairs  two  steps  at  a 
time  on  some  occasion  when  he  was  hurried,  —  a  grave  offence 
for  which  the  condemnation  could  hardly  be  too  severe.  He  was 
only  a  young  man,  and  came  from  an  academy,  and  this  alone 
was  enough  to  make  the  sounder  and  older  members  afraid  of 
him.  He  preached  for  a  lengthened  time  on  probation,  and 
finally  some  forty  persons  withdrew  because  they  could  not  agree 
with  the  enthusiastic  vote  by  which  the  majority  of  the  people 
elected  him. 

John  Rippon  modestly  expressed  his  wonder  that  even  more 
had  not  been  dissatisfied,  and  his  surprise  that  so  large  a  number 
were  agreed  to  call  him  to  the  pastorate.  In  the  spirit  of  forbear- 
ance and  brotherly  love  he  proposed  that,  as  these  friends  were 
seceding  for  conscience'  sake,  and  intended  to  form  themselves 
into  another  church,  they  should  be  lovingly  dismissed  with  prayer 
and  God  speed,  and  that,  as  a  token  of  fraternal  love,  they  should 
be  assisted  to  build  a  meeting-house  for  their  own  convenience, 
and  the  sum  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  should  be  voted  to  them 
when  their  church  was  formed  and  their  meeting-house  erected. 
The  promise  was  redeemed,  and  Mr.  Rippon  took  part  in  the 
ordination  service  of  the  first  minister.  This  was  well  done.  Such 
a  course  was  sure  to  secure  the  blessing  of  God.  The  church  in 
Dean  Street  thus  became  another  offshoot  from  the  parent  stem, 
and  with  varying  conditions  it  remains  to  this  day  as  the  church 
in  Trinity  Street,  Borough. 

He  will  be  best  known  as  having  prepared  the  first  really  good 
selection  of  Jiyvins  for  dissenting  congregations.  Although  a  Bap- 
tist collection,  it  was  extensively  used  with  Dr.  Watts's  among  both 
classes  of  Congregationalists.  This  work  was  an  estate  to  its 
author,  and  he  is  said  to  have  been  more  than  sufficiently  eager 
to  push  its  sale.  One  thing  we  know,  his  presents  of  nicely  bound 
copies  must  have  been  pretty  frequent,  for  we  have  seen  several 
greatly  prized  by  their  aged  owners,  who  have  showed  them  to  us, 
with  the  remark,  "  The  dear  old  Doctor  gave  me  tliat  himself." 


Dr.  John  Rippon  in  his  Youth. 


THE   METROPOLITAN   TABERNACLE.  1 39 

The  happy  eccentricity  of  the  Doctor's  character  may  be  illus- 
trated by  a  little  incident  in  connection  with  royalty.  He  was 
deputed  to  read  an  address  from  the  Dissenters  to  George  III., 
congratulating  him  upon  recovery  from  sickness.  The  Doctor 
read  on  with  his  usual  clear  utterance  till,  coming  to  a  passage 
in  which  there  was  special  reference  to  the  goodness  of  God,  he 
paused  and  said  :  "  Please  your  Majesty,  we  will  read  that  again," 
and  then  proceeded  with  his  usual  cool  dignity  to  repeat  the  sen- 
tence with  emphasis.  No  other  man  in  the  deputation  would  have 
thought  of  doing  such  a  thing,  but  from  Rippon  it  came  so  natu- 
rally that  no  one  censured  him,  or  if  they  did  it  would  have  had 
no  effect  upon  him. 

There  are  still  some  in  the  church  who  cherish  his  memory  with 
affectionate  and  well-deserved  reverence ;  and  there  are  thousands 
in  heaven  who  were  led  first  to  love  the  Saviour  by  his  earnest 
exhortations.  He  quarried  fresh  stones,  and  built  up  the  church. 
He  moulded  its  thought  and  directed  its  energies.  Without  being 
great  he  was  exceedingly  useful,  and  the  period  in  which  he  was 
one  of  the  judges  of  our  Israel  was  one  of  great  prosperity  in 
spiritual  things.  It  was  a  good  sixty-three  years,  and  with  the 
previous  pastorate  of  Dr.  Gill,  enabled  the  church  to  say  that 
during  one  hundred  and  seventeeii  years  they  had  been  presided  over 
by  two  ministers  oji/y.  Those  who  are  given  to  change  were  not 
numerous  in  the  community.  Short  pastorates  are  good  when 
ministers  are  feeble,  but  it  is  a  great  blessing  when  the  saints  are 
so  edified  that  all  are  content,  and  the  ministry  is  so  owned  of 
God  that  vacancies  are  filled  up  even  before  they  are  felt :  in  such 
a  case  change  would  wantonly  imperil  the  hope  of  continued  pros- 
perity, and  would  therefore  be  criminal. 

The  next  pastor  of  our  church  was  Mr.  —  now  Doctor — JOSEPH 
Angus,  a  gentleman  whose  career  since  he  left  us  to  become  sec- 
retary of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  and  afterwards  the  tutor 
of  Stepney  Academy,  now  Regent's  Park  College,  has  rendered 
his  name  most  honorable  among  living  Baptists.  He  is  one  of 
the  foremost  classical  scholars,  and  is  a  member  of  the  committee 
for  producing  a  revised  version  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  He  is  the 
author  of  those  standard  books,  "  The  Bible  Handbook,"  "  The 


140  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEOX. 

Handbook  of  the  English  Tongue,"  and  "  Handbook  of  English 
Literature." 

Mr.  James  Smith  succeeded  Dr.  Angus,  and  after  a  useful  pas- 
torate of  eight  years  resigned  on  account  of  ill  health.  In  October, 
1849,  he  wrote:  "  For  a  considerable  time  I  have  felt  an  oppres- 
sion on  my  chest,  and  great  difficulty  in  breathing.  Last  week  I 
consulted  a  doctor  upon  it,  and  he  advised  me  to  leave  London  as 
soon  as  I  could,  and  get  into  the  country,  as  my  lungs  require  a 
purer  air.  I  am  seeking  wisdom  from  God :  I  cannot  doubt  but 
He  will  guide  me." 

In  February,  1850,  he  said:  "  I  have  written  my  resignation  of 
office,  and  laid  it  before  the  deacons.  It  is  a  serious  and  impor- 
tant step  which  I  have  taken.  I  trust  I  have  taken  it  in  a  proper 
spirit,  and  from  a  right  motive.  My  mind  is  now  calm  and  peace- 
ful, the  agitation  from  which  I  have  long  been  suffering  is  at  an 
end,  and  I  feel  as  if  I  could  now  leave  the  matter  with  the  Lord. 

"  When  my  resignation  was  accepted,  the  church  passed  a  very 
kind  and  affectionate  resolution  regretting  that  I  felt  it  necessary 
to  take  such  a  step ;  but  as  I  had  rested  it  pretty  much  on  the 
state  of  my  health,  they  did  not  feel  that  they  could  refuse  to 
accede  to  my  wishes.  I  cannot  say  that  I  have  labored  in  vain 
here,  for  many  souls  have  been  converted,  some  backsliders  have 
been  restored,  and  between  four  hundred  and  five  hundred  mem- 
bers have  been  added  to  the  church  during  my  pastorate  of  eight 
years.  Many  of  my  poor  people  deeply  feel  the  step  which  I 
have  felt  it  my  duty  to  take,  and  I  have  received  very  affectionate 
letters  from  several  of  them.  May  they  soon  be  favored  with  a 
pastor  more  suitable  and  efficient  than  I  have  been." 

Mr.  Smith  built  up  in  Cheltenham  the  strong  working  church 
now  meeting  in  Cambray  Chapel,  which  was  erected  by  his  exer- 
tions. When  he  was  lying  upon  his  dying  bed  the  church  at  the 
Tabernacle  sent  him  a  heartily  affectionate  letter,  and  gratefully 
reminded  him  of  all  the  blessing  which  the  Lord  had  bestowed 
upon  many  souls  by  his  means.  To  this  we  received  a  delightful 
answer,  assuring  us  that  our  words  had  greatly  cheered  him.  He 
died  in  1861,  and  an  account  of  an  interview  with  him  may  inter- 
est the  reader  if  we  include   it  in  our  pages.     "  I  saw  this  week 


THE  METROPOLITAN  TABERNACLE.  I41 

the  former  pastor  of  this  church,  Mr.  James  Smith  of  Cheltenham. 
About  a  year  ago  he  was  struck  with  paralysis,  and  one  half  of 
his  body  is  dead.  But  yet  I  have  seldom  seen  a  more  cheerful 
man  in  the  full  heyday  of  strength.  I  had  been  told  that  he  was 
the  subject  of  very  fearful  conflicts  at  times;  so  after  I  had  shaken 
hands  with  him,  I  said :  '  Friend  Smith,  I  hear  you  have  many 
doubts  and  fears!'  'Who  told  you  that?'  said  he,  'for  I  have 
none.'  'Never  have  any?  Why,  I  understood  you  had  many 
conflicts.'  '  Yes,'  he  said,  '  I  have  many  conflicts,  but  I  have  no 
doubts ;  I  have  many  wars  within,  but  I  have  no  fears.  Who 
could  have  told  you  that?  I  hope  I  have  not  led  any  one  to  think 
that.  It  is  a  hard  battle,  but  the  victory  is  sure.'  Then  he  said 
in  his  own  way,  '  I  am  just  like  a  packet  that  is  all  ready  to  go  by 
train,  packed,  corded,  labelled,  paid  for,  and  on  the  platform, 
waiting  for  the  express  to  come  by  and  take  me  to  glory.  I  wish 
I  could  hear  the  whistle  now.'  " 

In  July,  1 85 1,  the  church  invited  the  Rev.  WillIAM  WALTERS, 
of  Preston,  to  become  the  pastor,  but  as  he  understood  the  dea- 
cons to  intimate  to  him  that  his  ministry  was  not  acceptable,  he 
tendered  his  resignation,  and  although  requested  to  remain,  he 
judged  it  more  advisable  to  remove  to  Halifax  in  June,  1853,  thus 
closing  a  ministry  of  two  years.  These  changes  sadly  diminished 
the  church  and  marred  its  union.  The  clouds  gathered  heavily, 
and  no  sunlight  appeared. 

[But  this  did  not  long  continue,  as  in  the  next  year  the  youthful 
pastor  of  Waterbeach,  CHARLES  H.  Spurgeon,  in  his  twentieth 
year,  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  church,  and  has  continued 
his  fruitful  ministry  there  for  eight  and  twenty  years.] 

Under  date  January  6,  1861,  there  stands  in  the  records  the 
following  solemn  declaration,  signed  by  the  pastor  and  leading 
friends:  "This  church  needs  rather  more  than  ;^4,ooo  (twenty 
thousand  dollars)  to  enable  it  to  open  the  new  Tabernacle  free  of 
all  debt.  It  humbly  asks  this  temporal  mercy  of  God,  and  be- 
lieves that  for  Jesus'  sake  the  prayer  will  be  heard  and  the  boon 
bestowed.     As  witness  our  hands." 

Now  let  the  reader  mark  that,  on  May  6th  of  the  same  year,  the 
pastor  and  many  friends  also  signed  their  names  to  another  testi- 


142 


LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 


mony,  which  is  worded  as  follows:  "  We,  the  undersigned,  mem- 
bers of  the  church  lately  worshipping  in  New  Park-street  Chapel, 
but  now  assembling  in  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle,  Nev/ington, 
desire  with  overflowing  hearts  to  make  known  and  record  the 
loving-kindness  of  our  faithful  God.  We  asked  in  faith,  but  our 
Lord  has  exceeded  our  desires,  for  not  only  was  the  whole  sum 
given  us,  but  far  sooner  than  we  had  looked  for  it.  Truly,  the 
Lord  is  good  and  worthy  to  be  praised.  We  are  ashamed  of  our- 
selves that  we  have  ever  doubted  Him,  and  we  pray  that  as  a 
church  and  as  individuals  we  may  be  enabled  to  trust  in  the  Lord 


NEW    PARK-STREET   CHAPEL, 
The  first  building  in  which  Mr.  Spiirgeon  preached  in  London. 


at  all  times  with  confidence,  so  that  in  quietness  we  may  possess 
our  souls.  To  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  we  offer  praise  and 
thanksgiving,  and  we  set  to  our  seal  that  God  is  true." 

After  about  a  month  of  Opening  Services,  regular  work  com- 
menced at  the  Tabernacle  in  May,  i86i,  the  whole  building  being 
free  of  debt,  and  the  accounts  showing  that  $156,660  had  been 
received,  and  the  same  amount  expended.  Truly  we  serve  a 
gracious  God. 

The  Tabernacle  is  146  feet  long,  81  feet  broad,  and  62  feet  high. 
There  are  some  5,500  sittings  of  all  kinds.  There  is  room  for 
6,000  persons  without  excessive  crowding;  and  we  have  also  a 
lecture-hall  holding  about  900,  schoolroom  for  1,000  children,  six 


THE    METROPOLllAN    TABERNACLE,  I43 

class-rooms,  kitchen,  lavatory,  and  retiring  rooms  below  stairs. 
We  have  a  ladies'  room  for  working  meetings,  young  men's  class- 
room, and  secretary's  room  on  the  ground  floor ;  three  vestries, 
for  pastor,  deacons,  and  elders  on  first  floor,  and  three  store-rooms 
on  the  second  floor.  The  accommodation  is  all  too  little  for  the 
work  to  be  carried  on,  and  we  are  glad  to  use  the  rooms  at  the 
Almshouses  and  the  College. 

In  October,  1867,  the  pastor  having  for  several  years  been  laid 
aside  at  intervals  by  painful  illness,  and  it  having  been  stated  by 
eminent  physicians  that  this  was  due  to  the  over-straining  of  his 
mental  powers,  the  deacons  and  elders,  after  consulting  together, 
recommended  the  church  to  request  Mr.  J.  A.  SPURGEON  to 
become  co-pastor  with  his  brother,  to  relieve  him  of  much  of  the 
pastoral  work.  This  happy  arrangement  was  carried  out  January 
9,  1868,  and  has  been  a  great  comfort  to  the  senior  pastor,  both 
in  church  and  college  work.  Mr.  James  Spurgeon  is  now  also 
the  pastor  of  a  large  and  growing  church  in  Croydon,  for  which 
he  has  erected  a  noble  chapel,  where  he  is  able  to  exercise  his 
ministry  on  the  Lord's  day;  his  help  being  mainly  required  at  the 
Tabernacle  upon  week  days,  and  in  the  general  oversight  of  the 
church.  No  more  efficient  or  sympathetic  helper  could  possibly 
have  been  found. 

In  addition  to  the  College  and  Orphanage,  the  following  insti- 
tutions are  also  connected  with  the  Tabernacle.  Who  shall  dare 
say  that  this  is  not  A  WORKING  CHURCH?  We  collate  from 
trustworthy  documents. 

Tabernacle  Building  Fund.  —  Capital  twenty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars. The  capital  is  lent  out  without  interest  to  chapels  in  debt, 
to  encourage  them  to  clear  themselves  of  their  liabilities.  Thus 
this  capital  remains  and  continues  to  benefit  one  church  after 
another.  The  fund  was  originally  raised  in  order  that  the  pastor 
might  feel  that  in  case  of  his  death  there  would  be  money  avail- 
able to  pay  for  the  completion  of  the  studies  of  the  men  in 
College. 

Mrs.  Spurgeon' s  Book  Fitnd.  —  The  pastor's  beloved  wife, 
touched   with   the   poverty  of  many  ministers,   commenced   this 


144  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.   SPUROEON. 

fund  to  supply  the  most  needy  with  books.  She  makes  this  the 
pleasant  business  of  her  life,  when  she  has  respite  from  pain,  and 
sufficient  strength. 

Mr.  Oncken's  German  Missiofi.  —  The  church  supports  two 
missionaries  in  Germany,  —  at  Templin  and  Hamburg. 

Mission  to  the  Jews.  —  There  is  a  small  auxiliary  to  this  mis- 
sion. 

Mr.  Orsnians  Mission  in  Golden  Lane,  City,  one  of  the  most 
useful  in  all  London,  is  an  entirely  independent  enterprise,  but 
Mr.  Orsman  is  still  a  member  at  the  Tabernacle. 

Richmond-street  Miss ioji  and  Schools,  Walworth.  —  In  1875  new 
premises  were  erected  for  this  mission  at  a  cost  of  over  four 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  which  is  all  paid.  Sunday  and 
Ragged  Schools,  and  adult  classes.  Children  in  schools,  650. 
Preaching,  tract  distribution,  Band  of  Hope,  evangelistic  work, 
&c.,  all  in  active  operation. 

Green  Walk  Mission,  Bermojidsey.  —  A  mighty  warfare  against 
sin  has  been  carried  on  here,  and  very  many  brought  to  Jesus  and 
added  to  the  Tabernacle  church.  Hall  thronged  to  hear  the  gos- 
pel. About  350  children  in  the  schools.  Mothers'  meetings,  Band 
of  Hope,  Tract  Society,  Open  Air  Mission,  Bible  and  Singing 
Classes,  and  children's  special  service.    All  at  work  and  all  alive. 

James  Grove,  Peckham.  —  Here  a  chapel  has  been  built  and  a 
congregation  gathered,  with  schools.  Many  members  have  been 
added  to  the  Tabernacle  church,  and  we  hope  ere  long  to  form 
them  into  a  separate  community  and  let  them  run  alone. 

Mr.  Hampton's  Blind  Missio?t.  —  Established  some  years,  for  the 
evangelization  of  the  poor  blind.  There  is  a  Sunday-school  for 
blind  children.  Tea  is  given  on  Sunday  afternoon  to  the  blind 
and  their  guides,  and  then  service  is  held.  Two  hundred  blind 
and  guides  attend. 

Mrs.  Thomas's  Mothers'  Mission.  —  Our  afflicted  friend  carries 
on  this  work  with  the  help  of  some  of  our  members,  and  it  is  a 
great  success.  Seventy  women  are  on  the  books.  Clothes,  loan- 
boxes,  &c.,  provided  for  poor  women. 

Other  mothers'  meetings  are  held  by  various  ladies  of  the 
church. 


THE   METROPOLIIAN   TABERNACLE.  I45 

Tabernacle  Smiday-school.  —  Held  in  the  Tabernacle  school- 
room and  in  the  College.  Children,  1,000  in  regular  attendance; 
150  in  senior  classes,  each  of  which  deserves  separate  mention 
if  we  had  space.  Young  Christians'  Association,  216  members. 
Children's  and  teachers'  library.  The  school  raises  from  $250 
to  $300  per  annum  for  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society.  There  \% 
a  Band  of  Hope  and  a  working  class. 

Almshouses.  —  The  day-schools  are  as  full  as  they  can  hold. 
Here  there  are  Sunday-schools,  and  an  adult  class  of  120  mem- 
bers. 

Orphanage.  —  Here,  too,  Sunday-school  work  goes  on  vigor- 
ously, 

Mrs.  Bartletfs  Class.  —  This  famous  class,  since  the  decease  of 
its  invaluable  leader,  is  now  presided  over  by  her  son  Edward, 
who  is  an  indefatigable  laborer  in  many  ways.  The  class  is  wel' 
attended,  numbering  from  500  to  700;  it  carries  on  many  mee^ 
ings  and  virorks  of  usefulness,  and  manifests  a  right  royal  liberality 
to  the  College,  for  which  it  raises  a  large  amount  annually.  Ver) 
many  have  come  into  the  church  from  this  class. 

Mr.  Perkins's  Bible  Class.  —  An  earnest,  united  band  of  young- 
men,  who  meet  on  Sabbath  afternoons  in  the  vestry  of  the  Tab- 
ernacle. They  carry  on  different  works  of  usefulness  and  aid 
the  College. 

Mr.  Bowkcrs  Bible  Class  is  of  the  same  character,  and  meets 
in  the  Octagonal  Room  of  the  College.  It  is  an  earnest  class, 
helps  its  own  poor,  works  for  Jesus,  and  aids  in  supporting  the 
College. 

Mr.  Charlesworth  has  a  Ladies'  Bible  Class  on  Thursdays  before 
the  service,  and  a  Young  Men's  Bible  Class  on  Sabbath  afternoons^ 
both  prospering.     The  two  classes  support  a  Bible-carriage. 

Baptist  Country  Mission.  —  A  small  society,  but  full  of  life.  It 
seeks  to  evangelize  the  villages  by  open-air  preaching,  and  open- 
ing rooms  for  services.  With  small  funds,  it  has  during  late 
years  carried  on  three  promising  interests,  —  in  Putney,  Waltham- 
stow,  and  Carshalton.  Others  in  past  years  have  become  self- 
supporting  churches,  and  so  will  these.  It  is  making  attempts  in 
villages  further  afield,  and  Christ  is  preached  faithfully.     It  is  an 

10 


146  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 

evangelistic  eft'ort  for  the  suburbs  and  country.  Its  expenditurr 
was  only  three  hundred  dollars  in  one  year. 

Evangelists  Association.  —  Is  fully  at  work  in  halls,  lodging- 
houses,  street  corners,  the  Tabernacle  steps,  &c.  Services  have 
been  successfully  carried  on  at  Dunn's  Institute  and  Tabernacle 
Almshouses,  and  in  various  chapels  where  the  ministers  have 
allowed  evangelistic  meetings  to  be  held.  This  society  send.' 
brethren  to  any  church  needing  such  assistance. 

Loan  Tract  Society  for  Tabernacle  District.  —  Tracts  and  the 
pastor's  sermons  are  lent  out,  and  two  thousand  families  visited 
every  week.     Several  conversions  have  resulted. 

General  Loan  Tract  Society.  —  Supplies  the  pastor's  sermons  in 
free  grants  to  poor  districts,  where  friends  arrange  for  their  loan. 
With  the  very  best  results,  this  work  has  been  carried  on  in  seven- 
teen counties  of  England. 

Another  society,  called  The  Rock  Loati  Tract  Society,  lends 
sermons  chiefly  in  country  villages. 

The  Ordinance  Poor  Fund  distributes  among  the  poor  members 
of  the  church  about  four  thousand  dollars  annually. 

Ladies'  Benevolent  Society.  —  For  making  clothing  and  relieving 
the  poor.     A  very  useful  society. 

Ladies'  Maternal  Society.  —  For  the  aid  of  poor  women  in  their 
confinements.  One  hundred  and  sixty-two  boxes  of  linen  lent 
during  the  year. 

Mrs.  Evans's  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Working  Society 
makes  up  boxes  of  garments  for  missionaries,  and  also  for  poor 
ministers  and  their  families  at  home.  This  is  a  blessed  work,  and 
has  made  glad  many  a  poor  servant  of  Jesus. 


XII. 
THE    PASTORS'    COLLEGE. 


Souls  are  not  saved  by  systems,  t  J'  Dy  the  Spirit.  Organizations  witiiout 
the  Holy  Ghost  are  mills  without  wind,  or  water,  or  steam  power.  Methods 
and  arrangements  without  grace  are  pipes  from  a  dry  conduit,  lamps  without 
oil,  banivs  without  capital.  Even  the  most  Scriptural  forms  of  cnurch  govern- 
ment and  effort  are  clouds  without  rain  till  the  "power  tr.  n:  on  high"  be 
given,  —  C.  H. .  SpuRGEON. 


THE    PASTORS'    COLLEGE. 


COLLEGES  may  become  a  bane  or  a  blessing.  How  many 
of  them  have  been  harmful  in  their  unsanctified  learning! 
What  responsibility  rests  upon  the  faculty  of  a  college !  Not 
always  through  evil  teaching,  but  by  indifference  on  the  part  of  the 
professors,  have  there  been  so  many  moral  wrecks  in  these  halls 
of  learning.  Indifference,  we  say,  on  the  part  of  teachers  who  had 
no  care  for  their  students  beyond  that  of  teaching  the  young  idea 
how  to  shoot  a  classic  bow,  or  dig  up  Greek  and  Latin  roots. 
Nevertheless,  the  Christian  student  must  take  the  blame  upon 
himself  if  he  departs  from  the  living  God.  There  are,  however, 
colleges  which  are  "  schools  of  the  prophets,"  where  the  moral 
and  mental  requirements  are  faithfully  considered  and  judiciously 
ministered  unto.  From  such  training-ground  men  of  might  come 
forth  fit  for  the  battle,  like  David's  heroes,  bold  as  lions,  and 
swift  as  the  roes  upon  the  mountains.  Oh,  that  their  name  were 
legion  ! 

The  unswerving  aim  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  has  been  to  help  his 
young  men  in  Bible  knowledge,  so  that  they  may  be  thoroughly 
furnished  unto  all  good  works.  He  has  had  long  experience  in 
•Christian  work,  and  every  year  his  conviction  deepens  that  there 
cannot  be  a  healthy  church  where  an  unspiritual  minister  leads. 
In  addition,  therefore,  to  the  development  of  intellect,  and  as  the 
great  desideratum,  he  prays  and  labors  to  bring  his  students  into 
the  life  of  faith  and  deep  Christian  experience.  To  an  unloving 
heart  Jesus  will  not  commit  the  care  of  His  sheep.  The  first  and 
only  question  with  Him  is,  "  Lovest  thou  Me?"     And  the  beloved 


150  LIFE  AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

president  of  the  Pastors'  College  is  in  sympathy  with  his  gracious 
Master's  purpose,  viz.,  that  men  filled  with  divine  love  may  be 
sent  forth  duly  qualified  to  preach  the  gospel  and  to  teach  God's 
Word  to  the  world  lying  in  wickedness. 

None  is  better  fitted  to  speak  of  the  College,  from  its  incipiency 
to  its  present  successful  administration,  than  its  honored  presi- 
dent. Its  object,  methods,  and  results  are  thus  sketched  by  his 
own  pen :  — 

The  College  was  the  first  important  institution  commenced  by 
the  pastor,  and  it  still  remains  his  first-born  and  best  beloved.  To 
train  ministers  of  the  gospel  is  a  most  excellent  work,  and  when 
the  Holy  Spirit  blesses  the  effort,  the  result  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  both  to  the  Church  and  to  the  world. 

The  Pastors'  College  commenced  in  1856,  and  during  this  long 
period  has  unceasingl}'  been  remembered  of  the  God  of  heaven, 
to  whom  all  engaged  in  it  offer  reverent  thanksgiving.  When  it 
was  commenced,  I  had  not  even  a  remote  idea  of  whereunto  it 
would  grow.  There  were  springing  up  around  me,  as  my  own 
spiritual  children,  many  earnest  young  men  who  felt  an  irresistible 
impulse  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  yet  with  half  an  eye  it  could 
be  seen  that  their  want  of  education  would  be  a  sad  hindrance 
to  them.  It  was  not  in  my  heart  to  bid  them  cease  their  preach- 
ing, and  had  I  done  so,  they  would  in  all  probability  have  ignored 
my  recommendation.  As  it  seemed  that  preach  they  would, 
though  their  attainments  were  very  slender,  no  other  course  was 
open  but  to  give  them  an  opportunit}'  to  educate  themselves  for 
the  work. 

The  Holy  Spirit  very  evidently  had  set  His  seal  upon  the  work 
of  one  of  them,  by  conversions  wrought  under  his  open-air  ad- 
dresses ;  it  seemed  therefore  to  be  a  plain  matter  of  duty  to 
instruct  this  youthful  Apollos  still  further,  that  he  might  be  fitted 
for  wider  usefulness.  No  college  at  that  time  appeared  to  me  to 
be  suitable  for  the  class  of  men  that  the  providence  and  grace 
of  God  drew  around  me.  The\-  were  mostly  poor,  and  most  of 
the  colleges  involved  necessarily  a  considerable  outlay  to  the 
student;    for  even  where  the  education  was  free,   books,  clothes, 


George  Rogers,  for  many  Years  Tutor  in  the  Pastor's  College. 


i 


THE    PASTORS'    COLLEGE.  151 

and  other  incidental  expenses  required  a  considerable  sum  per 
annum.  Moreover,  it  must  be  frankly  admitted  that  my  views 
of  the  gospel  and  of  the  mode  of  training  preachers  were  and 
are  somewhat  peculiar.  I  may  have  been  uncharitable  in  my 
judgment,  but  I  thought  the  Calvinism  of  the  theology  usually 
taught  to  be  very  doubtful,  and  the  fervor  of  the  generality  of 
the  students  to  be  far  behind  their  literary  attainments.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  preachers  of  the  grand  old  truths  of  the  gospel,  min- 
isters suitable  for  the  masses,  were  more  likely  to  be  found  in 
an  institution  where  preaching  and  divinity  would  be  the  main 
objects,  and  not  degrees  and  other  insignia  of  human  learning. 
I  felt  that,  without  interfering  with  the  laudable  objects  of  other 
colleges,  I  could  do  good  in  my  own  way.  These  and  other 
considerations  led  me  to  take  a  few  tried  young  men,  and  to  put 
them  under  some  able  minister,  that  he  might  train  them  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  in  other  knowledge  helpful  to  the  understanding 
and  proclamation  of  the  truth.  This  step  appeared  plain ;  but 
how  the  work  was  to  be  conducted  and  supported  was  the  question, 
—  a  question,  be  it  added,  solved  almost  before  it  occurred. 

Two  friends,  both  deacons  of  the  church,  promised  aid,  which, 
with  what  I  could  give  myself,  enabled  me  to  take  one  student, 
and  I  set  about  to  find  a  tutor.  In  Mr.  George  Rogers,  God  sent 
us  the  very  best  man.  He  had  been  preparing  for  such  work,  and 
was  anxiously  waiting  for  it.  This  gentleman,  who  has  remained 
during  all  this  period  our  principal  tutor,  is  a  man  of  Puritanic 
stamp,  deeply  learned,  orthodox  in  doctrine,  judicious,  witty, 
devout,  earnest,  liberal  in  spirit,  and  withal  juvenile  in  heart  to 
an  extent  most  remarkable  in  one  of  his  years.  My  connection 
with  him  has  been  one  of  uninterrupted  comfort  and  delight.  The 
most  sincere  affection  exists  between  us;  we  are  of  one  mind  and 
of  one  heart;  and,  what  is  equally  important,  he  has  in  every  case 
secured  not  merely  the  respect  but  the  filial  love  of  every  student. 
Into  this  beloved  minister's  house  the  first  students  were  intro- 
duced, and  for  a  considerable  period  they  were  domiciled  as 
members  of  his  family. 

Encouraged  by  the  readiness  with  which  the  young  men  found 
spheres  of  labor,  and  by  their  singular  success  in  soul-winning,  I 


152  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

enlarged  the  number;  but  the  whole  means  of  sustaining  them 
came  from  my  own  purse.  The  large  sale  of  my  sermons  in 
America,  together  with  my  dear  wife's  economy,  enabled  me  to 
spend  from  three  thousand  dollars  to  four  thousand  dollars  in  a 
year  in  my  own  favorite  work ;  but  on  a  sudden,  owing  to  m)' 
denunciations  of  the  then  existing  slavery  in  the  States,  my  entire 
resources  from  that  "  brook  Cherith  "  were  dried  up.  I  paid  as 
large  sums  as  I  could  from  my  own  income,  and  resolved  to  spend 
all  I  had,  and  then  take  the  cessation  of  my  means  as  a  voice 
from  the  Lord  to  stay  the  effort,  as  I  am  firmly  persuaded  that 
we  ought  under  no  pretence  to  go  into  debt.  On  one  occasion 
I  proposed  the  sale  of  my  horse  and  carriage,  although  these 
were  almost  absolute  necessaries  to  me  on  account  of  my  contin- 
ual journeys  in  preaching  the  Word.  This  my  friend  Mr.  Rogers 
would  not  hear  of,  and  actually  offered  to  be  the  loser  rather  than 
this  should  be  done.  Then  it  was  that  I  told  my  difficulties  to 
my  people,  and  the  weekly  offering  commenced ;  but  the  incom- 
ings from  that  source  were  so  meagre  as  to  be  hardly  worth  calcu- 
lating upon.  I  was  brought  to  the  last  pound,  when  a  letter  came 
from  a  banker  in  the  City,  informing  me  that  a  lady,  whose  name 
I  have  never  been  able  to  discover,  had  deposited  a  sum  of  one 
thousand  dollars,  to  be  used  for  the  education  of  young  men  for 
the  ministry.  How  did  my  heart  leap  for  joy !  I  threw  myself 
then  and  henceforth  upon  the  bounteous  care  of  the  Lord,  whom 
I  desired  with  my  whole  heart  to  glorify  by  this  effort.  Some 
weeks  after,  another  five  hundred  dollars  came  in,  from  the  same 
bank,  as  I  was  informed,  from  another  hand.  Soon  after  Mr. 
Phillips,  a  beloved  deacon  of  the  church  at  the  Tabernacle,  began 
to  provide  an  annual  supper  for  the  friends  of  the  College,  at 
which  considerable  sums  have  from  year  to  year  been  given.  A 
dinner  was  also  given  by  my  liberal  publishers,  Messrs.  Passmore 
and  Alabaster,  to  celebrate  the  publishing  of  my  five-hundredth 
weekly  sermon,  at  which  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  were  raised 
and  presented  to  the  funds.  The  College  grew  every  month, 
and  the  number  of  students  rapidly  advanced  from  one  to  forty. 
Friends  known  and  unknown,  from  far  and  near,  were  moved  to 
give   little   or   much   to  my  work,  and  so  the  funds  increased  as 


THE   PASTORS'    COLLEGE.  1 53 

the  need  enlarged.  Then  another  earnest  deacon  of  the  church 
espoused  as  his  special  work  the  weekly  offering,  and  by  the 
unanimous  voice  of  the  church  under  my  care  the  College  was 
adopted  as  its  own  child.  Since  that  hour  the  weekly  offering 
has  been  a  steady  source  of  income,  till  in  the  year  1869  the 
amount  reached  exactly  ^^"1,869  ($9,345). 

There  have  been  during  this  period  times  of  great  trial  of  my 
faith ;  but  after  a  season  of  straitness,  never  amounting  to  absolute 
want,  the  Lord  has  always  interposed  and  sent  me  large  sums  (on 
one  occasion  five  thousand  dollars)  from  unknown  donors.  When 
the  Orphanage  was  thrust  upon  me,  it  did  appear  likely  that  this 
second  work  would  drain  the  resources  of  the  first,  and  it  is  very 
apparent  that  it  does  attract  to  itself  some  of  the  visible  sources 
of  supply ;  but  my  faith  is  firm  that  the  Lord  can  as  readily  keep 
both  works  in  action  as  one.  My  own  present  inability  to  do  so 
much,  by  way  of  preaching  abroad,  occasions  naturally  the  failure 
of  another  great  source  of  income ;  and  as  my  increasing  labors 
at  home  will  in  all  probability  diminish  that  stream  in  perpetuity, 
there  is  another  trial  of  faith.  Yet,  if  the  Lord  wills  the  work  to 
be  continued.  He  will  send  His  servant  a  due  portion  of  the  gold 
and  silver,  which  are  all  His  own ;  and  therefore  as  I  wait  upon 
Him  in  prayer,  the  All-sufficient  Provider  will  supply  all  my  needs. 
About  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  is  annually  required  for  the 
College,  and  the  same  sum  is  needed  for  the  Orphanage ;  but  God 
will  move  His  people  to  liberality,  and  we  shall  see  greater  things 
than  these. 

While  speaking  of  pecuniary  matters,  it  may  be  well  to  add 
that,  as  many  of  the  young  men  trained  in  the  College  have  raised 
new  congregations  and  gathered  fresh  churches,  another  need  has 
arisen,  —  namely,  money  for  building  chapels.  It  is  ever  so  in 
Christ's  work ;  one  link  draws  on  another,  one  effort  makes  another 
needed.  For  chapel-building,  the  College  funds  could  do  but 
little,  though  they  have  freely  been  used  to  support  men  while 
they  are  collecting  congregations ;  but  the  Lord  found  for  mc 
one  of  His  stewards,  Avho,  on  the  condition  that  his  name  remains 
unknown,  has  hitherto,  as  the  Lord  has  prospered  him,  supplied 
very  princely  amounts  for  the  erection  of  places   of  worship,  of 


154  LIFE  AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

which  more  than  forty  have  been  built,  or  so  greatly  renovated 
and  enlarged  as  to  be  virtually  new  structures.  Truly  may  it  be 
said,  "  What  hath  God  wrought !  " 

Pecuniary  needs,  however,  have  made  up  but  a  small  part  of 
our  cares.  Many  have  been  my  personal  exercises  in  selecting 
the  men.  Candidates  have  always  been  plentiful,  and  the  choice 
has  been  wide ;  but  it  is  a  serious  responsibility  to  reject  any,  and 
yet  more  to  accept  them  for  training.  When  mistakes  have  been 
made,  a  second  burden  has  been  laid  upon  me  in  the  dismissal  of 
those  who  appeared  to  be  unfit.  Even  with  the  most  careful  man- 
agement, and  all  the  assistance  of  tutors  and  friends,  no  human 
foresight  can  secure  that  in  every  case  a  man  shall  be  what  we 
believed  and  hoped.  A  brother  may  be  exceedingly  useful  as  an 
occasional  preacher;  he  may  distinguish  himself  as  a  diligent 
student;  he  may  succeed  at  first  in  the  ministry;  and  yet,  when 
trials  of  temper  and  character  occur  in  the  pastorate,  he  may  be 
found  wanting.  We  have  had  comparatively  few  causes  for  regret 
of  this  sort,  but  there  have  been  some  such,  and  these  pierce  us 
with  many  sorrows.  I  devoutly  bless  God  that  He  has  sent  to 
the  College  some  of  the  holiest,  soundest,  and  most  self-denying 
preachers  I  know,  and  I  pray  that  He  may  continue  to  do  so ;  but 
it  would  be  more  than  a  miracle  if  all  should  excel.  While  thus 
speaking  of  trials  connected  with  the  men  themselves,  it  is  due 
to  our  gracious  God  to  bear  testimony  that  these  have  been  com- 
paratively light,  and  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  great 
joy  which  we  experience  in  seeing  so  many  brethren  still  serving 
the  Lord  according  to  their  measure  of  gift,  and  all,  it  is  believed, 
earnestly  contending  for  the  faith  once  delivered  unto  the  saints; 
nor  is  the  joy  less  in  remembering  that  eleven  have  sweetly  fallen 
asleep  after  having  fought  a  good  fight.  At  this  hour  some  of 
our  most  flourishing  Baptist  churches  are  presided  over  by  pastors 
trained  in  our  College,  and  as  years  shall  add  ripeness  of  experi- 
ence and  stability  of  character,  others  will  be  found  to  stand  in 
the  front  rank  of  the  Lord's  host. 

The  young  brethren  are  boarded  generally  in  twos  and  threes, 
in  the  houses  of  our  friends  around  the  Tabernacle,  for  which  the 
College  pays  a  moderate  weekly  amount.     The  plan  of  separate 


THE    PASTORS'    COLLEGE.  I55 

lodging  we  believe  to  be  far  preferable  to  having  all  under  one 
roof;  for,  by  the  latter  mode,  men  are  isolated  from  general  fam- 
ily habits,  and  are  too  apt  to  fall  into  superabundant  levity.  The 
circumstances  of  the  families  who  entertain  our  young  friends  are 
generally  such  that  they  are  not  elevated  above  the  social  position 
which  in  all  probability  they  will  have  to  occupy  in  future  years, 
but  are  kept  in  connection  with  the  struggles  and  conditions  of 
every-day  life. 

Devotional  habits  are  cultivated  to  the  utmost,  and  the  students 
are  urged  to  do  as  much  evangelistic  work  as  they  can.  The 
severe  pressure  put  upon  them  to  make  the  short  term  as  useful 
as  possible,  leaves  small  leisure  for  such  efforts,  but  this  is  in  most 
instances  faithfully  economized.  Although  our  usual  period  is 
two  years,  whenever  it  is  thought  right  the  term  of  study  is 
lengthened  to  three  or  four  years ;  indeed,  there  is  no  fixed  rule, 
all  arrangements  being  ordered  by  the  circumstances  and  attain- 
ments of  each  individual. 

As  before  hinted,  our  numbers  have  greatly  grown,  and  now 
range  from  eighty  to  one  hundred.  Very  promising  men,  who 
are  suddenly  thrown  in  our  way,  are  received  at  any  time,  and 
others  who  are  selected  from  the  main  body  of  applicants  come 
in  at  the  commencement  of  terms.  The  church  at  the  Tabernacle 
continues  to  furnish  a  large  quota  of  men,  and  as  these  have  usu- 
ally been  educated  for  two  or  more  years  in  our  Evening  Classes, 
they  are  more  advanced  and  better  able  to  profit  by  our  two  years 
of  study.  We  have  no  difficulty  in  finding  spheres  for  men  who 
are  ready  and  fitted  for  them.  There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that 
the  supply  of  trained  ministers  is  in  advance  of  the  demand.  Even 
on  the  lowest  ground  of  consideration,  there  is  yet  very  much  land 
to  be  possessed ;  and  when  men  break  up  fresh  soil,  as  ours  are 
encouraged  to  do,  the  field  is  the  world,  and  the  prayer  for  more 
laborers  is  daily  more  urgent.  If  the  Lord  would  but  send  us 
funds  commensurate,  there  are  hundreds  of  neighborhoods  need- 
ing the  pure  gospel,  which  we  could  by  His  grace  change  from 
deserts  into  gardens.  How  far  this  is  a  call  upon  the  reader  let 
him  judge  as  in  the  sight  of  God.  Shall  there  be  the  gifts  and 
graces  of  the  Spirit  given  to  the  Church,  and  shall  there  not  also 


156  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

be  sufficient  bestowed  of  the  earthly  treasure?  How  much  owest 
thou  unto  my  Lord? 

The  College  was  for  some  little  time  aided  by  the  zealous 
services  of  Mr.  W.  Cubitt,  of  Thrapstone,  who  died  among  us, 
enjoying  our  highest  esteem.  Mr.  Gracey,  the  classical  tutor,  a 
most  able  brother,  is  one  of  ourselves,  and  was  in  former  years 
a  student,  though  from  possessing  a  solid  education,  he  needed 
little  instruction  from  us  except  in  theology.  In  him  we  have 
one  of  the  most  efficient  tutors  living,  a  man  fitted  for  any  post 
requiring  thorough  scholarship  and  aptness  in  communicating 
knowledge.  Mr.  Fergusson,  in  the  English  elementary  classes, 
does  the  first  work  upon  the  rough  stones  of  the  quarr}-,  and  we 
have  heard  from  the  men  whom  he  has  taught  in  the  Evening 
Classes,  speeches  and  addresses  which  would  have  adorned  any 
assembly,  proving  to  demonstration  his  ability  to  cope  with  the 
difficulties  of  uncultured  and  ignorant  minds.  Mr.  Johnson,  who 
zealously  aids  in  the  evening,  is  also  a  brother  precisely  suited  to 
the  post  which  he  occupies.  These  Evening  Classes  afford  an 
opportunity  to  Christian  men  engaged  during  the  day  to  obtain  an 
education  for  nothing  during  their  leisure  time,  and  very  many  avail 
themselves  of  the  privilege.  Nor  must  I  forget  to  mention  Mr. 
Selwa}-,  who  takes  the  department  of  physical  science,  and  by  his 
interesting  experiments  and  lucid  descriptions  gives  to  his  listen- 
ers an  introduction  to  those  departments  of  knowledge  which  most 
abound  with  illustrations.  Last,  but  far  from  least,  I  adore  the 
goodness  of  God  which  sent  me  so  dear  and  efficient  a  fellow- 
helper  as  my  brother  in  the  flesh  and  in  the  Lord,  J.  A.  Spur- 
geon.  His  work  has  greatly  relieved  me  of  anxiety,  and  his 
superior  educational  qualifications  have  tended  to  raise  the  tone 
of  the  instruction  given. 

As  to  the  quality  of  the  preachers  whom  we  have  been  enabled 
to  send  forth,  we  need  no  more  impartial  witness  than  the  good 
Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  who  was  kind  enough  to  express  himself 
publicly  in  the  following  generous  terms :  — 

"  It  was  an  utter  fallacy  to  suppose  that  the  people  of  England 
would  ever  be  brought  to  a  sense  of  order  and  discipline  by  the 
repetition  of  miserable  services,  by  bits  of  wax  candle,  by  rags  of 


THE   PASTORS'    COLLEGE.  1 57 

Popery,  and  by  gymnastics  in  the  chancel :  nothing  was  adapted 
to  meet  the  wants  of  the  people  but  the  Gospel  message  brought 
home  to  their  hearts,  and  he  knew  of  none  who  had  done 
better  service  in  this  evangelistic  work  than  the  pupils  trained 
in  Mr.  Spurgeon's  College.  They  had  a  singular  faculty  for 
addressing  the  population,  and  going  to  the  very  heart  of  the 
people." 

Each  year  the  brethren  educated  at  the  Pastors'  College  are 
invited  to  meet  in  conference  at  the  Tabernacle,  and  they  are  gen- 
erously entertained  by  our  friends.  The  week  is  spent  in  holy 
fellowship,  prayer,  and  intercourse.  By  this  means  men  in  remote 
villages,  laboring  under  discouraging  circumstances  and  ready  to 
sink  from  loneliness  of  spirit,  are  encouraged  and  strengthened : 
indeed,  all  the  men  confess  that  a  stimulus  is  thus  given  which 
no  other  means  could  confer. 

All  things  considered,  gratitude  and  hope  are  supreme  in  con- 
nection with  the  Pastors'  College ;  and  with  praise  to  God  and 
thanks  to  a  thousand  friends,  the  president  and  his  helpers  gird 
up  the  loins  of  their  minds  for  yet  more  abundant  labors  in  the 
future.  To  every  land  we  hope  yet  to  send  forth  the  gospel  in 
its  fulness  and  purity.  We  pray  the  Lord  to  raise  up  missionaries 
among  our  students  and  make  every  one  a  winner  of  souls. 
Brethren,  remember  this  work  in  your  prayers,  and  in  your  allot- 
ment of  the  Lord's  portion  of  your  substance. 

When  the  necessity  for  new  college  buildings  was  plainly  indi- 
cated, a  friend  in  May,  1873,  sent  $5,000  towards  that  object.  On 
October  14,  1873,  the  foundation-stone  of  those  buildings  was  laid, 
when  the  people  contributed  $5,000,  the  students  gave  $1,500, 
and  undertook  to  raise  the  amount  to  $5,000.  In  1874  Messrs. 
Cory  and  Sons,  of  Cardiff,  sent  for  the  benefit  of  the  fund  $5,000 
worth  of  paid-up  shares  in  their  colliery  company.  In  July,  1875, 
the  president  received  $25,000  for  the  same  object  as  a  legacy 
from  the  late  Mr.  Matthews.  These  are  named  as  examples  of  the 
various  ways  in  which  God  has  answered  prayer  and  rewarded 
the  faith  of  His  servant  in  that  important  work. 

Shortly  before  the  new  College  buildings  were  commenced, 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  by   an  article  in  "  The   Sword  and   the   Trowel," 


158  LIFE    AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H,   STURCJEOX. 

directed  public  attention  to  the  institution.    The  following  extract 

will  suffice:  — 

The  supply  of  men  as  students  has  been  always  large,  and  at 
this  time  more  are  applying  than  ever.  Our  one  aim  has  been  to 
train  preachers  and  pastors.  The  College  is  made  into  a  home 
missionary  society  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel.  One  of  our 
students,  Mr.  F,  E.  Suddard,  was  first,  in  1872,  among  seven  com- 
petitors for  one  of  the  Dr.  Williams'  scholarships  at  the  Glasgow 
University.  In  the  metropolis  alone,  forty-five  churches  have 
been  founded. 

One  of  the  students  has  commenced  a  cause  in  Turk's  Island ; 
he  is  now  carrying  on  evangelistic  work  in  St.  Domingo,  where, 
if  he  is  spared,  he  is  likely  to  become  the  apostle  of  that  island, 
and  also  of  Hayti.  One  brother  has  gone  to  serve  the  Lord  in 
China,  two  others  are  laboring  in  Spain.  Several  are  doing  a  good 
work  in  Canada,  and  more  than  twenty  brethren  have  become 
pastors  in  America,  and  seven  others  are  gone  as  far  south  as 
Australia.  One  is  a  missionary  in  India,  and  another  in  Prince 
Edward  Island. 

The  suitable  and  commodious  new  buildings,  which  have  been 
erected  and  furnished,  cost  about  $75,000,  all  of  which  is  paid. 
Here  we  have  a  fine  hall,  excellent  class-rooms,  a  handsome 
libraiy,  and,  in  fact,  all  that  a  college  can  require.  The  way  in 
which  the  money  was  raised  was  another  instance  of  divine  good- 
ness;  $15,000  was  given  as  a  memorial  to  a  dear  and  lamented 
husband;  $io,ooo  was  a  legacy  to  the  College  from  a  reader  of 
the  sermons.  The  ministers  who  had  been  formerly  students  came 
to  our  help  in  a  princely  fashion.  Large  amounts  were  made  up 
by  the  unanimous  offerings  of  Tabernacle  friends  on  days  when 
the  pastor  invited  the  members  and  adherents  to  be  his  guests  at 
the  College.  In  answer  to  prayer,  the  gold  and  the  silver  have 
been  ready  when  needed.  How  our  heart  exults  and  blesses  the 
name  of  the  Lord. 

The  Evening  Classes  are  in  a  high  condition  of  prosperity,  there 
being  about  two  hundred  men  in  regular  attendance,  and  a  con- 
siderable   number  among   them  of  hopeful  ability.     Out  of  this 


The  Pastor's  College. 


THE   PASTORS'    COLLEGE. 


159 


class  city  missionaries,  lay  preachers,  writers  for  the  press,  and 
colporteurs  are  continually  coming.  It  is  an  eminently  useful 
part  of   the  College  work. 

There  are  now  hundreds  of  men  proclaiming  the  gospel  who 
have  been  trained  in  the  College.  We  are  daily  expecting  more 
missionaries  to  be  raised  up  among  us. 

Our  statistics,  which  are  far  from  being  complete,  show  that 
these  brethren  baptized  20,676  person'^  in  ten  years  (1865-1874), 
that  the  gross  increase  to  their  cnurcucs  was  ^0,677,  and  the  net 
increase  19,498.     Laus  Dm:^ 


l6o  LIFE   AMD   LABORS   OF  C.   H.    SPURGEON, 


PSALM   LIJJ 

The  foes  of  Zion  quake  for  fright, 

Where  no  fear  was  they  quail ; 
For  well  they  know  that  Sword  of  might 

Which  cuts  through  coats  of  mail. 

The  Lord  of  old  defied  their  shields, 
And  all  their  spears  He  scorned  ; 

Their  bones  lay  scattered  o'er  the  fields, 
Unburied  and  unmourned. 

Let  Zion's  foes  be  filled  with  shame, 

Her  sons  are  blessed  of  God  ; 
Though  scoffers  now  despise  their  name, 

The  Lord  shall  break  the  rod. 

Oh,  would  our  God  to  Zion  turn, 

God  with  salvation  clad  ; 
Then  Judah's  harps  should  music  learn, 

And  Israel  be  glad. 

C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


XIII. 
STOCKWELL    ORPHANAGE. 


In  a  church  in  Verona  stands,  or  rather  sits,  a  wooden  image  of  St.  Zeno,. 
an  ancient  bishop,  with  Icnees  so  ludicrously  short  that  there  is  no  lap  on  which 
a  babe  could  be  dandled.  He  was  not  the  first  nor  the  last  ecclesiastic  who  has 
been  utterly  incapable  of  being  a  nursing  father  to  the  Church.  It  were  well  if 
all  ministers  had  a  heavenly  instinct  for  the  nourishing  and  bringing  up  of  the 
Lord's  little  ones.     Is  there  not  much  lack  in  this  ?  —  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


STOCKWELL    ORPHANAGE. 


o 


F  Mr.  Spurgeon's  Orphanage  Mr.  Stevenson  gives  the  follow- 
ing account  and  description :  — 


It  is  the  Lord's  own  work  to  care  for  the  fatherless.  Those  who 
have  faith  in  God  never  need  be  without  success  in  undertaking 
the  care  of  the  orphan.  God  helps  the  helpless ;  but  He  uses 
man  as  His  agent  in  arranging  details.  Soon  after  '*  The  Sword 
and  the  Trowel  "  was  commenced  Mr.  Spurgeon  indicated  in  one 
of  his  articles  published  in  its  pages  several  forms  of  Christian 
usefulness,  and  amongst  them  the  care  of  the  orphan. 

Shortly  afterwards,  in  September,  1866,  Mr.  Spurgeon  received 
a  letter  from  a  lady,  offering  to  place  at  his  command  the  sum  of 
$100,000,  with  which  to  commence  an  orphanage  for  fatherless 
boys.  At  first  he  felt  disposed  to  avoid  the  onerous  responsi- 
bilities of  such  a  work ;  and,  calling  at  the  address  given  by  the 
lady,  tried  to  prevail  upon  her  to  give  the  money  to  Mr.  Miiller, 
of  Bristol.  The  claims  of  London  for  such  an  institution  were 
urged ;  and,  unable  to  refuse  the  request  of  the  generous  donor, 
the  money  was  accepted  on  trust  for  the  purpose  named.  Mrs. 
Hillyard,  the  widow  of  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England, 
was  the  lady  whose  benevolence  thus  originated  the  Orphanage. 
The  money  was  in  railway  debentures,  which  were  not  at  that  time 
available  for  use  otherwise  than  as  an  investment. 

After  consulting  with  the  leading  friends  at  the  Tabernacle,  a 
body  of  twelve  trustees  was  chosen,  in  whose  names  the  money 
was   invested,   and   a  resolution  was  agreed   upon   to  purchase  a 


164  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    II.    SPURGEON. 

suitable  plot  of  land  at  Stockwell,  on  which  to  erect  an  orphanage. 
In  March,  1867,  the  deed  of  incorporation  was  signed  by  the  trus- 
tees, and  in  May  the  claims  of  the  projected  buildings  were  urged 
with  so  much  force  and  urgency  that  the  people  belonging  to  the 
Tabernacle  took  up  the  case  with  loving  zeal  and  energy.  By  the 
month  of  August  $5,350  were  in  hand,  and  the  whole  church  at 
the  Tabernacle  was  eilgaged  in  collecting  on  this  behalf.  Prayer, 
faith,  and  prompt,  energetic  action  were  all  combined  in  the  efforts 
made,  and  pastors,  trustees,  and  congregation  were  of  one  mind 
in  their  purpose  to  make  the  work  a  success. 

Within  the  space  of  a  year  the  plan  of  the  Orphanage  was 
matured,  the  foundations  laid,  the  work  was  making  rapid  prog- 
ress, and  a  large  amount  of  money  was  in  hand  for  the  purpose. 
Donations  from  $5  to  $1,250  had  been  generously  forwarded  to 
help  on  the  work,  and  a  great  meeting  was  held  in  September, 
1867,  when  the  public  generally  had  an  opportunity  of  showing 
their  sympathy  with  the  proceedings.  Previousl}'  to  that  large 
meeting  the  foundation-stones  of  three  of  the  houses  were  laid 
under  circumstances  of  more  than  usual  interest. 

Mrs.  Tyson,  a  lady  who  had  often  aided  Mr.  Spurgeon  in  the 
work  of  the  College,  and  in  other  enterprises,  had  been  spared 
to  see  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  her  marriage  day,  on  which 
occasion  her  beloved  husband,  a  wealthy  merchant,  presented  her 
with  $2,500.  This  money  the  lady  at  once  took  to  Mr.  Spurgeon 
to  be  dedicated  to  God  for  the  erection  of  one  of  the  orphan 
houses,  to  be  called  Silver-Wedding  House.  About  the  same 
time  a  merchant  in  the  City  called  upon  the  pastor  at  the  Taber- 
nacle, and,  after  transacting  some  business  with  him,  left  with  Mr. 
Spurgeon's  secretary  a  sealed  envelope,  in  which  was  $3,000,  to 
be  used  in  building  another  house,  which,  it  was  afterwards  deter- 
mined, should  be  called  Merchant's  House,  as  the  donor  refused 
to  have  his  name  given.  The  way  in  which  God  was  answering 
the  prayers  of  His  people  was  further  shown  by  an  offer  made 
by  the  workmen  who  had  built  the  Tabernacle  to  give  the  labor 
necessary  for  erecting  a  third  house,  whilst  their  employer  volun- 
teered to  give  the  necessar}'  material:  this  to  be  called  the 
Workmen's  House. 


Boys'  Home  —  Stockwell  Orphanage. 


STOCKWELL   ORPHANAGE.  165 

Such  manifest  tokens  of  the  divine  favor  attending  the  work- 
greatly  encouraged  the  pastor  and  the  trustees,  and  on  Monday 
afternoon,  Aug.  9,  1867,  the  foundation-stones  of  the  three 
houses  named  were  laid,  —  one  by  Mrs.  Hillyard,  one  by  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  and  one  by  Mr.  Higgs.  The  scene  presented  at  Stock- 
well  on  that  day  was  exceedingly  picturesque  and  intensely  inter- 
esting. At  the  monster  tea-meeting  which  followed,  the  tables 
extended  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  length,  and  the  bright 
sunshine  made  the  scene  one  of  joy  and  delight,  which  will  long 
be  remembered,  though  the  rain,  which  came  down  so  bountifully 
just  as  tea  was  over,  caused  much  discomfort.  The  subscriptions 
brought  in  that  day  reached  $12,000.  In  "The  Sword  and  the 
Trowel"  for  October  the  names  of  1,120  collectors  are  printed, 
with  the  amounts  on  their  cards,  stated  to  be  $14,010.  Amongst 
the  collectors  were  members  of  the  Church  of  England,  Congre- 
gationalists,  Methodists,  Baptists,  and  others,  so  general  had  been 
the  sympathy  which  was  felt  in  the  work. 

The  faith  of  the  pastor  and  trustees  of  the  Orphanage  was 
greatly  strengthened  by  the  wonderful  manner  in  which  God  had 
answered  their  prayers  and  rewarded  their  efforts.  It  was  an- 
nounced that  eight  houses  were  contemplated,  to  provide  for  not 
less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  orphans,  requiring  an  outlay  of 
$15,000  per  annum.  Messrs!  Olney  and  Sons  gave  $2,500  to  erect 
a  fourth  house,. to  be  called,  after  the  sainted  and  venerable  Mrs. 
Olney,  Unity  House. 

By  the  end  of  the  year  1867  the  trustees  had  no  less  than  two 
hundred  names  of  orphans  from  whom  to  select  fifty  in  the  follow- 
ing April.  The  pressing  need  of  providing  for  these  children  made 
the  way  more  easy  for  extending  the  work.  Accordingly,  at  the 
meeting  of  the  Baptist  Union,  early  in  1868,  it  was  resolved  that 
an  effort  should  be  made  to  raise  the  funds  necessary  for  erecting 
two  houses,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000  each.  Whilst  these  efforts  were 
being  made  amongst  the  Baptists,  Mr.  Thom.as  Olney,  as  the 
superintendent  of  the  Tabernacle  Sunday-school,  aided  by  the 
teachers  and  scholars,  was  collecting  the  funds  necessary  for  erect- 
ing a  house  to  represent  the  young  children.  Simultaneously 
with  that  effort  was  another  amongst  the  students  at  the  College, 

14. 


l66  LIFE   AND    LA.BORS    OF   C.    H.    STURGEON. 

who  had  resolved  to  show  their  affection  for  their  pastor  by  raising 
money  sufficient  to  erect  a  house  on  their  behalf,  and  to  perpetu- 
ate their  institution  by  having  it  named  the  College  House. 

Two  meetings  were  held  at  the  Orphanage  in  June,  1868;  one 
on  the  1st  of  June,  when  the  venerable  Thomas  Olney,  sr.,  laid 
the  foundation-stone  of  the  building  which  was  to  form  the  lecture 
and  dining-hall,  the  master's  house,  and  the  entrance  gateway.  It 
was  a  gladsome  sight  to  witness  the  joy  of  the  venerable  man, 
who  had  for  nearly  threescore  years  been  connected  with  the 
church  worshipping  at  the  Tabernacle,  as  he  performed  the 
pleasing  duty  assigned  to  him. 

On  the  same  day  the  Rev.  John  Aldis,  of  Reading,  and  Alex- 
ander B.  Goodall,  Esq.,  each  laid  one  of  the  foundation-stones 
of  the  two  Testimonial  Houses  subscribed  for  by  the  Baptist 
churches  as  a  token  of  regard  to  Mr.  Spurgeon.  A  monster  tea- 
meeting  followed  the  proceedings,  after  which  addresses  were 
delivered  by  the  Revs.  Thomas  Binney,  Dr.  Raleigh,  J.  T.  Wig- 
ner,  W.  Brock,  D.D.,  W.  Howieson,  A.  Mursell,  Henry  Varley, 
W.  Stott,  S.  H.  Booth,  G.  Gould,  J.  Raven,  J.  H.  Millard,  John 
Spurgeon,  sr.,  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  and  James  A.  Spurgeon.  Mr. 
Wigner  presented  to  the  pastor  an  address  of  affectionate  sym- 
pathy from  the  Baptist  churches,  which  was  signed  by  Mr.  Good- 
all  and  himself  on  behalf  of  the  subscribers  to  the  fund,  and  with 
the  address  was  the  sum  of  $6,000.  That  sum  was  afterwards 
increased  to  $8,720,  so  as  to  include  the  furniture  and  fittings 
for  the  two  houses,  that  the  offering  might  be  in  every  respect 
complete  in  all  its  parts. 

The  meeting  held  on  June  19th,  the  thirty-fourth  birthday  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  was,  if  possible,  a  more  joyous  and  enthusiastic  one 
than  any  of  the  preceding.  On  that  day  Mr.  Thomas  Olney,  jr., 
surrounded  by  a  huge  mass  of  children  forming  the  Tabernacle 
Sunday-schools,  laid  the  foundation-stone  of  the  Sunday-school 
House,  amidst  the  enthusiastic  applause  of  the  delighted  children. 
It  was  a  time  of  joy  they  will  all  long  remember.  Dear  Mrs. 
Spurgeon,  so  long  a  suffering  invalid,  was  there  to  witness  the 
happiness  of  the  assembly,  and  by  request  from  the  students  at 
the  College,   and  the  ministers  who   had    gone   from   it,   she  was 


STOCKWELL   ORPHANAGE.  167 

induced  to  lay  the  foundation-stone  of  the  College  House.  She 
was  graciously  upheld  on  the  occasion,  although  the  surpassing 
kindness  displayed  was  enough  to  overcome  one  of  a  stronger 
frame.  After  the  stone-laying  was  over,  twenty-six  sweet  little 
girls  in  white  advanced  one  by  one,  and  presented  Mrs.  Spurgeon 
with  purses  which  their  parents  had  subscribed  as  a  token  of  their 
affectionate  rejoicing  at  her  temporary  restoration.  It  was  a 
touching,  beautiful,  and  unexpected  sight,  which  deserves  to  be 
recorded.  A  large  sum  of  money  was  presented  to  Mr.  Spurgeon 
as  a  birthday  offering,  which  he  put  into  the  Orphanage  treasury. 

Another  incident  occurred  at  that  period  which  deserves  to  be 
placed  on  record.  The  Baptist  church  at  Liverpool,  over  which 
the  Rev.  Hugh  Stowell  Brown  presides,  was  about  to  be  re- 
opened, and  Mr.  Spurgeon  consented  to  preach  the  sermons. 
He  did  so :  but  the  church  and  congregation  resolved  to  defray 
the  cost  of  the  repairs,  and  gave  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  for  the  Orphan- 
age the  whole  of  the  collection,  which  amounted  to  $1,250. 

The  manner  in  which  the  funds  have  been  contributed,  first  to 
erect  the  Orphanage  buildings,  and  since  then  to  maintain  the 
children  and  officers,  and  keep  the  whole  establishment  in  con- 
tinuous operation,  most  clearly  indicates  that  from  the  commence- 
ment of  the  work,  up  to  the  present  time,  the  hand  of  God  has 
been  directing  the  whole. 

Each  house  was  occupied  as  soon  as  it  was  finished ;  but  unable 
to  wait  until  the  first  was  ready,  so  soon  as  the  plan  of  the  Or- 
phanage was  matured  and  trustees  appointed,  four  orphans  were 
selected  and  placed  under  the  charge  of  a  sister  in  her  own  house. 
As  money  came  in  others  were  added  to  them.  To  manifest  still 
further  the  interest  which  Mrs.  Hillyard  took  in  the  work,  when 
she  found  several  orphans  already  in  charge  of  a  matron,  she  sold 
some  household  plate  to  giVe  the  money  for  their  support.  Thus 
encouraged,  by  the  month  of  July,  1867,  before  the  foundation- 
stones  were  actually  laid,  seven  boys  were  chosen  by  the  trustees 
as  a  commencement.  It  was  wonderful  how  the  money  was  sent 
in.  One  day,  just  as  Mr.  Spurgeon  finished  his  sermon  in  the 
open  air,  a  lady  put  into  his  hand  an  envelope  containing  $100 
for  the  Orphanage  and  $100  for  the  College.     In  January,  1868, 


l6S  LIFE   AND   LABORS   0I<^   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  announced  in  his  magazine  that  an  unknown  gentle- 
man had  given  him  $5,000  towards  two  of  the  houses.  In  March 
another  sum  of  $5,000  was  announced,  and  in  June  the  Baptist 
churches  sent  in  $6,000.  In  September,  a  year  after  the  work 
began,  a  great  bazaar  was  held,  which  brought  in  a  net  profit  of 
$7,000.  How  many  loving  hearts  and  willing  hands  were  em- 
ployed to  bring  about  such  a  result,  it  would  be  impossible  to  tell, 
though  there  were  but  few  of  the  eleven  hundred  collectors,  who 
so  nobly  came  forward  at  the  first  meeting  a  year  before,  who 
did  not  lend  a  helping  hand  to  the  bazaar.  By  the  end  of  the 
year  the  president  announced  in  his  magazine  that  only  $5,000 
more  was  required  to  complete  the  eight  houses,  "  and  this,"  says 
he,  "  will  surely  be  sent  in ;  for  the  Lord  will  provide."  And  so  it 
came  to  pass. 

In  January,  1869,  fifty  children  had  been  chosen  to  occupy  the 
houses  as  soon  as  they  should  be  ready,  but  up  to  the  month  of  June 
only  twenty-nine  orphans  were  in  residence.  The  chief  difficulty 
which  for  some  time  had  given  anxiety  to  the  trustees  was  to  find 
a  suitable  superintendent.  Several  persons  had  presented  them- 
selves, but  not  one  had  satisfied  the  claims  of  the  institution. 
When  the  difficulty  seemed  to  be  the  greatest.  Divine  Providence 
sent  the  right  man.  Vernon  J.  Charlesworth,  who  had  been  for 
seven  years  co-pastor  at  Surrey  Chapel  with  Newman  Hall,  offered 
his  services,  and  they  were  accepted.  Mr.  Charlesworth  was  at 
once  appointed :  and  the  ability  which  he  has  manifested  in 
managing  the  affairs  of  the  institution  is  very  satisfactory  evi- 
dence that  he  is  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  By  his 
influence  within  the  Orphanage,  and  by  his  pen  outside,  he  has 
shown  himself  to  be  the  orphan's  friend. 

Up  to  the  spring  of»the  year  1870  one  hundred  and  fifty-four 
orphans  had  been  admitted,  six  of  whom  had  been  removed, 
leaving  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  in  residence.  In  1877  the 
resident  orphans  numbered  two  hundred  and  thirty. 

Each  of  the  eight  houses  forms  a  separate  family,  that  plan  having 
after  mature  consideration  been  resolved  upon  as  the  best.  Each 
family  is  complete  in  its  own  arrangements ;  each  dwelling  having 
a  large  sitting  and  four  lofty  bed-rooms  for  the  boys,  with  lockers, 


STOCKWELL   ORPHANAGE.  169 

which,  when  closed,  form  handy  seats  in  the  middle  of  the  room ; 
and  a  sitting-room,  bed-room,  and  kitchen  for  the  matron  in 
charge.  A  large  covered  play-room  adjoins  the  houses  on  the 
east,  and  separate  from  that  is  the  infirmary,  forming  the  east 
end  of  the  quadrangle.  At  the  west  end  is  the  school-room  and 
dining-hall,  the  master's  house  and  entrance  gateway:  and  in  the 
rear  of  the  dining-hall  is  the  suite  of  offices  for  cooking  and  other 
domestic  purposes. 

In  selecting  the  most  needy  boys  for  the  benefits  of  the  institu- 
tion, the  trustees  are  in  no  way  influenced  by  the  religious  opinions 
of  their  parents.  Those  showing  the  most  pressing  want  have  the 
preference. 

A  judicious  writer  has  said  of  the  Stockwell  Orphanage:  "How 
superior  any  real  approach  to  the  family  ideal  is  to  the  barrack 
system  was  apparent  to  us  on  a  mere  glance  at  these  fatherless 
lads.  The  families  are  large,  about  thirty  boys  in  each  house ; 
but  they  are  under  the  care  of  affectionate  and  diligent  matrons, 
and  everything  is  done  to  compensate  for  the  loss  of  parental 
rule  and  training.  There  is  more  of  the  '  home  '  than  of  the 
'  institution '  in  the  atmosphere.  To  encourage  home  ideas,  and 
for  the  sake  of  industrial  training,  the  boys  in  turn  assist  in  the 
domestic  work  during  the  morning  of  the  day;  each  boy's  period 
of  service  being  restricted  to  one  week  in  six,  servants  being 
entirely  dispensed  with.  A  working  cook  superintends  the  kitchen, 
aided  by  the  boys.  No  regimental  uniform  is  suffered.  The  boys 
differ  in  the  clothes  they  wear,  in  the  cut  of  the  hair,  and  show 
all  the  variety  of  a  large  family.  The  boys  do  not  look  like 
loosely  connected  members  of  a  huge  and  miscellaneous  crowd, 
but  sons  and  brothers.  No  traces  of  ill-disguised  dissatisfaction, 
as  though  in  perpetual  restraint,  always  under  orders,  were 
apparent;  but  a  free,  healthy,  and  vigorous  homeliness,  as  if 
under  the  genial  and  robust  influence  of  love,  made  itself  every- 
where manifest.  With  all  the  care  of  a  Christian  father,  situations 
are  chosen  for  the  lads,  where  their  spiritual  interests  will  not  be 
in  danger ;  and  when  they  have  been  passed  into  them  the  master 
corresponds  with  them,  and  gives  them  counsel  and  assistance 
as  they  need.     Like  a  true  home,  its  benediction  follows  every 


170  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

inmate  throughout  his  hfe.  We  were  specially  pleased  with  our 
visit  to  the  school.  The  boys  are  well  drilled  in  elementary 
knowledge,  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  grammar,  history,  geogra- 
phy, vocal  music,  Latin,  shorthand,  science  of  common  things, 
and  Scripture.  A  French  class  is  held  for  the  elder  boys.  Mili- 
tary drill  is  given  daily.  Drawing  is  successfully  taught,  and 
many  boys  excel  in  it.  The  singing-class  did  very  great  credit 
to  its  instructor,  —  singing  at  sight,  with  great  accuracy  and 
sweetness,  music  of  some  difficulty."  Two  of  H.  M.  Inspectors 
were  deputed  from  the  Local  Government  Board  to  visit  the 
institution,  and  they  gave  the  following  report,  which  reflects  the 
highest  credit  upon  Mr.  Spurgeon  for  his  wisdom  and  prudence : 
"  An  admirable  institution,  good  in  design,  and,  if  possible,  better 
in  execution." 

The  children  are  admitted  between  the  ages  of  six  and  ten 
years,  and  they  remain  until  they  are  fourteen.  From  an  abstract 
drawn  up  by  the  master  in  1873  it  was  found  that  the  creeds  of 
the  parents  of  the  children  admitted  to  that  date  were  in  the 
following  proportions :  sixty-nine  were  members  of  the  Church 
of  England;  twenty-six  Independent;  nineteen  Wesleyan ;  fifty- 
one  Baptist ;  four  Presbyterian  ;  one  Catholic  ;  and  -  thirty-five 
made  no  profession  of  religion. 

In  the  management  of  the  Orphanage  will  be  found  one  of  its 
chief  attractions,  and  one  which  ought  to  commend  its  plans  to 
other  similar  institutions.  The  author  of  a  book  called  "  Con- 
trasts "  cites  the  Stockwell  School  as  a  specimen  of  admirable 
administration,  proving  that  large  expenditure  in  some  public 
institutions  does  not  guarantee  thorough  satisfaction.  In  some 
orphan  schools  and  pauper  schools  the  rate  of  expense  per  head 
is  from  one  hundred  and  fifteen  to  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
dollars,  whilst  in  the  Stockwell  Orphanage,  with  complete  organ- 
ization and  highly  satisfactory  results  in  each  department,  the 
cost  is  only  seventy-two  dollars  per  head,  inclusive  of  every- 
thing. This  is  the  highest  testimonial  which  could  be  given  of 
its  efficiency. 

Looking  over  the  list  of  applications  which  are  entered  in  the 
books  at  Stockwell,  it  was  ascertained  that  two  only  out  of  every 


STOCKWELL   ORPHANAGE.  171 

dozen  cases  could  be  received.  What  becomes  of  the  other  ten? 
"  Think  of  widows,  some  of  them  sickly  and  unable  to  work,  with 
four  or  five  children  ;  families  of  orphans  deprived  of  both  parents ; 
and  yet  the  Stockwell  trustees  had  to  decline  them  because  there 
were  more  necessitous  cases.  But  there  was  one  comfort,  they 
had  not  to  pay  any  election  expenses."  On  that  subject  Mr. 
Spurgeon  has  written  the  following  judicious  remarks :  "  No 
widow  ever  goes  away  lamenting  over  time,  labor,  and  money 
spent  in  vain.  The  worst  that  can  happen  is  to  be  refused  because 
there  is  no  room,  or  her  case  is  not  so  bad  as  that  of  others. 
Not  a  shilling  will  have  been  spent  in  purchasing  votes,  no  time 
lost  in  canvassing,  no  cringing  to  obtain  patronage.  Her  case  is 
judged  on  its  merits,  and  the  most  necessitous  wins  the  day.  We 
have  now  so  many  applicants  and  so  few  vacancies,  that  women 
with  two  or  three  children  are  advised  not  to  apply,  for  while 
there  are  others  with  five,  six,  or  seven  children  depending  upon 
them,  they  cannot  hope  to  succeed."  A  dozen  orphanages  as 
large  as  the  one  at  Stockwell  could  be  filled  at  once  with  children 
needing  such  help. 

The  economy  with  which  the  Orphanage  has  been  managed 
has  excited  the  admiration  of  many  who  are  familiar  with  the 
details  of  kindred  institutions.  Those  who  honor  Mr.  Spurgeon 
with  their  contributions  make  a  good  investment,  and  will  share 
in  the  blessedness  of  the  return.  The  office  expenses  are  reduced 
to  a  minimum,  and  no  paid  canvassers  are  employed.  Offerings 
find  their  way  into  the  exchequer  from  all  parts  of  the  globe,  and 
though  at  times  there  has  been  a  little  tightness  felt,  the  children 
have  never  lacked  a  meal.  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  a  man  of  unwavering 
faith  in  the  living  God,  and  though  his  faith  has  been  put  to  the 
severest  test,  it  has  never  failed  him.  Friends  who  have  not  been 
able  to  give  money  have  sent  gifts  in  kind.  Flour  and  potatoes, 
meat  and  preserves,  are  always  gladly  received.  One  manufac- 
turer has  given  all  the  coverlets  for  the  beds,  and  the  proprietors 
and  pupils  of  a  young  ladies'  school  have  endeavored  to  keep 
the  boys  supplied  with  shirts. 

The  Orphanage  has  now  existed  long  enough  to  form  a  correct 
opinion  of  its  merits  in  every  department.      Hundreds    of  boys 


172  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

have  left  the  school  and  entered  on  the  duties  of  life.  The  reports 
which  have  been  received  annually  from  those  business  men  who 
have  taken  them  have  been  most  gratifying.  With  few  excep- 
tions, those  who  have  left  keep  up  communication  with  the  home. 
Summing  up  these  results,  a  recent  report  says:  "Almost  every 
boy  who  has  gone  into  a  situation  has  given  satisfaction.  Where 
failure  has  occurred  it  has  arisen  from  a  craving  for  the  sea,  or  from 
the  interference  of  an  unwise  mother.  Some  of  the  lads  are  in 
good  positions,  and  command  the  esteem  of  their  ernployers." 

Nearly  all  the  boys  have  sent  a  portion  of  their  first  earnings 
as  a  donation  to  the  Orphanage,  in  sums  varying  from  one  dollar 
to  five  dollars,  thus  manifesting  a  spirit  of  gratitude.  Some  o( 
the  letters  received  from  them  are  read  to  the  boys,  and  produce 
on  their  minds  beneficial  results.  Many  of  the  boys  have,  before 
they  have,  left,  become  decided  Christians,  and  some  have  made 
public  confession  of  their  faith  by  baptism.  The  head  master 
himself  was  publicly  baptized  in  1874,  and  five  of  the  boys  joined 
him  in  the  same  act  of  dedication.  Others  have  become  members 
of  Christian  churches  in  the  towns  and  villages  where  they  have 
gone  to  reside.  One  of  the  first  boys  converted  is  now  devoting 
his  evenings  and  Sundays  to  missionary  work  in  South  London, 
and  showed  so  much  talent  for  preaching  that  he  was  received 
into  the  College  in  January,  1876. 

It  is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  record  that  the  health  of  the 
inmates  has  been  graciously  maintained,  with  but  little  interrup- 
tion, through  the  several  years  of  its  existence.  A  few  who 
entered  in  feeble  health  have  fallen  into  consumption  and  died, 
although  the  locality  is  most  favorable  to  health.  Of  those  who 
have  died,  it  is  pleasing  to  have  to  record  that  their  youthful 
spirits  passed  away  trusting  in  Jesus. 

The  1875  anniversary  of  the  schools  was  held  at  the  Orphanage 
on  the  pastor's  birthday,  June  19th,  which  was  preceded  by  a 
bazaar.  The  attendance  was  so  numerous  that  it  was  necessary 
to  hold  two  public  meetings  to  accommodate  the  large  number 
of  persons  present.  The  Earl  of  Shaftesbury  was  present,  and 
spoke  at  both  the  services.  The  contributions  added  two  thou- 
sand five  hundred  dollars  to  the  funds. 


XIV. 

A  SPECIMEN  ANNUAL  REPORT 


In  dibbling  beans  the  old  practice  was  to  put  three  In  each  hole:  one  for 
the  ■worm,  one  for  the  crow,  and  one  to  Uve  and  produce  the  crop.  In  teaching 
children,  we  must  give  line  upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept,  repeating  the 
truth  which  we  would  inculcate,  till  it  becomes  impossible  for  the  child  to  for- 
get it.  We  m?  V  well  give  the  lesson  once,  expecting  the  child's  frail  memory 
to  lose  it;,  twice,  reckoning  that  the  devil,  like  an  ill  bird,  wiL  tteal  it ;  thrice, 
hoping  that  it  will  take  root  downward,  and  bring  forth  fruit  upward  to  the  glory 
of  God.  —  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


ANNUAL    REPORT. 


I 


N  issuing  the  twelfth  annual  report  of  the  Stockwell  Orphanage 
the  Committee  write :  — 


With  profound  gratitude  to  our  Heavenly  Father  we  issue  the 
Twelfth  Report  of  the  Stockwell  Orphanage,  and  our  gratitude 
will  be  shared,  we  doubt  not,  by  all  who  have  given  of  their  sub^ 
stance  towards  the  maintenance  and  development  of  the  institu- 
tion. We  therefore  invite  all  our  readers  to  "  rejoice  with  us  " 
in  the  tokens  of  the  divine  favor  which  have  crowned  our  labors 
during  another  year.  "  The  Lord  hath  been  mindful  of  us:  He 
will  bless  us." 

When  we  remember  how  this  gracious  work  began  by  the  con- 
secrated thought  of  a  holy  woman,  and  then  grew  into  an  actual 
gift  from  her  hand,  and  further  developed,  by  the  large  help  ot 
others,  into  houses  and  schools,  infirmary  and  dining-hall,  and  all 
manner  of  provision  for  destitute  children,  we  feel  bound  to  cry, 
"  What  hath  God  wrought !  "  Our  God  has  supplied  all  our 
need  according  to  His  riches  in  glory  by  Chri.st  Jesus.  The  story 
of  the  Stockwell  Orphanage  will  be  worth  telling  in  heaven  when 
the  angels  shall  learn  from  the  Church  the  manifold  wisdom  and 
goodness  of  the  Lord.  Incidents  which  could  not  be  published 
on  earth  will  be  made  known  in  the  heavenly  city,  where  every 
secret  thing  shall  be  revealed.  How  every  need  has  been  sup- 
plied before  it  has  become  a  want ;  how  guidance  has  been  given 
before  questions  have  become  anxieties ;  how  friends  have  been 
raised  up  in  unbroken  succession,  and  how  the  One  Great  Friend 


176  LIFE  AND    LABORS   OF   C,    H.    srURCEOX. 

has  been  ever  present,  no  single  pen  can  ever  record.  To  care 
for  the  fatherless  has  been  a  work  of  joyful  faith  all  along,  and  in 
waiting  upon  God  for  supplies  we  have  experienced  great  delight. 
The  way  of  faith  in  God  is  the  best  possible.  We  could  not  have 
carried  on  the  work  by  a  method  more  pleasant,  more  certain, 
more  enduring.  If  we  had  depended  upon  annual  subscribers 
we  should  have  had  to  hunt  them  up  and  pay  a  heavy  poundage, 
or  perhaps  fail  to  keep  up  the  roll ;  if  we  had  advertised  contin- 
ually for  funds  our  outlay  might  have  brought  in  a  scanty  return ; 
but  dependence  upon  God  has  been  attended  with  no  such  haz- 
ards. We  have  done  our  best  as  men  of  business  to  keep  the 
Orphanage  before  the  public,  but  we  have  desired  in  all  things 
to  exercise  faith  as  servants  of  God.  Whatever  weakness  we  have 
personally  to  confess  and  deplore,  there  is  no  weakness  in  the 
plan  of  faith  in  God.  Our  experience  compels  us  to  declare  that 
He  is  the  living  God ;  the  God  that  heareth  prayer ;  the  God  who 
will  never  permit  those  who  trust  in  Him  to  be  confounded.  The 
business  world  has  passed  through  trying  times  during  the  last  few 
years,  but  the  Orphanage  has  not  been  tried ;  men  of  great  enter- 
prise have  failed,  but  the  home  for  the  fatherless  has  not  failed ;  for 
this  enterprise  is  in  the  divine  hand,  an  eye  watches  over  it  which 
neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps. 

Let  the  people  of  God  be  encouraged  by  the  fact  of  the  exist- 
ence and  prosperity  of  the  Stockwell  Orphanage.  Miracles  have 
come  to  an  end,  but  God  goes  on  to  work  great  wonders :  the  rod 
of  Moses  is  laid  aside,  but  the  rod  and  staff  of  the  Great  Shepherd 
still  compass  us. 

The  son  of  an  old  Puritan  rode  some  twenty  miles  to  meet 
his  father,  who  came  a  similar  distance  to  the  half-way  house. 
"  Father,"  said  the  son,  "  I  have  met  with  a  special  providence, 
for  my  horse  stumbled  at  least  a  dozen  times,  and  yet  it  did  riot 
fall."  "  Ah  !  "  replied  the  father,  "  I  have  had  a  providence  quite 
as  remarkable,  for  my  horse  did  not  stumble  once  all  the  way." 
This  last  is  the  happy  picture  of  the  Orphanage  for  some  time 
past,  and  indeed  throughout  its  whole  career:  we  have  never  had 
to  issue  mournful  appeals  because  of  exhausted  resources,  and  in 
this  we  must  see  and  admire  the  cood  hand  of  the  Lord. 


ANNUAL   REPORT,    1 88 1, 


77 


We  now  enter  more  fully  upon  a  fresh  stage  of  our  existence ; 
we  shall  need  to  double  the  amount  of  our  present  income,  and 
we  shall  have  it  from  the  ever-opened  hand  of  the  Lord  our  God, 
Friends  will  be  moved  to  think  of  our  great  family,  for  our  Great 


ONE   OF   THE   SCHOOL-ROOMS. 

Remembrancer  will  stir  them  up.  The  duty  of  each  Christian  to 
the  mass  of  destitute  orphanhood  is  clear  enough,  and  if  pure 
minds  are  stirred  up  by  way  of  remembrance  there  will  be  no  lack 
in  the  larder,  no  want  in  the  wardrobe,  no  failing  in  the  funds  of 
our  Orphan  House. 

We  labor  under  one  great  difficulty:  many  people  say,  "Mr. 
Spurgeon  will  be  sure  to  get  the  money,  and  there  is  no  need  for 
us  to  send."     It  is  clear  that  if  everybody  talked  so,  our  presi- 


1 78  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

dent's  name  would  be  a  hindrance  instead  of  a  help.  He  will  be 
the  means  of  finding  money  for  our  institution,  for  the  Lord  will 
honor  his  faith  and  hear  his  prayers,  and  be  glorified  in  him ;  but 
there  will  be  no  thanks  due  to  those  who  fabricate  an  excuse  for 
themselves  out  of  the  faithfulness  of  God.  This  difficulty,  how- 
ever, does  not  distress  us :  we  go  forward  believing  that  when  we 
have  twice  our  present  number  of  children  the  Lord  will  send  us 
double  supplies ;  we  cannot  entertain  the  suspicion  that  the  girls 
will  be  left  without  their  portion,  for  we,  being  evil,  care  as  much 
for  our  daughters  as  for  our  sons,  and  our  Heavenly  Father  will 
do  the  same.  It  is  well,  however,  to  remind  our  friends  of  this, 
that  each  helper  of  the  Orphanage  may  try  to  interest  another 
generous  heart,  and  so  enlarge  the  circle  of  our  friends.  It  may 
be  that  by  such  means  the  Great  Provider  will  supply  us ;  for  we 
know  that  when  our  Lord  fed  the  multitude  He  first  said  to  His 
disciples,  *'  Give  ye  them  to  eat." 

The  sanitary  condition  of  the  Orphanage  has  been  all  that  we 
could  desire.  Considering  that  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  chil- 
dren come  to  us  in  a  delicate  condition,  and  some  with  the  taint 
of  hereditary  disease,  it  is  a  matter  for  devout  thankfulness  that 
their  general  health  is  so  good,  and  that  so  few  deaths  have 
occurred.  Out  of  the  entire  number  who  have  left,  only  one  boy 
was  unable  to  enter  upon  a  situation  in  consequence  of  an  enfee- 
bled constitution.  We  owe  it  to  an  ever-watchful  Providence  that, 
during  the  prevailing  epidemic,  not  a  single  case  of  fever  or  small- 
pox has  occurred  in  the  institution. 

Family  worship  is  conducted  twice  daily,  before  the  morning 
and  evening  meals,  by  the  head  master  or  his  assistants,  the 
service  being  taken  occasionally  by  the  president,  or  a  member 
of  the  committee,  or  a  visitor  to  the  institution  who  may  happen 
to  be  present.  The  Word  of  God  is  read  and  expounded,  hymns 
sung,  and  prayer  offered,  and  the  whole  of  the  boys  repeat  a  text 
selected  for  the  day.  A  service  is  conducted  for  the  elder  boys 
every  Wednesday  evening  by  Mr.  W.  J.  Evans,  when  addresses 
are  given  by  ministers  and  other  friends. 

During  their  term  of  residence  in  the  institution  all  the  boys 
are  total  abstainers,  no  alcoholic  liquors  being  allowed  except  by 


ANNUAL   REPORT,    I  88  I.  179 

order  of  the  doctor,  but  most  of  them  are  pledged  abstainers, 
with  the  approval  of  their  friends.  Band  of  Hope  meetings  are 
held  every  month,  when  the  children  receive  instruction  from 
competent  speakers ;  and  lectures  are  given  at  intervals  during 
the  winter  months. 

The  operations  of  the  institution  reveal  to  the  managers  the 
wide-spread  necessity  which  exists.  The  cry  of  the  orphan  comes 
from  every  part  of  our  beloved  land,  and  the  plea  of  the  widow 
for  Christian  sympathy  and  help  is  restricted  to  no  one  class  of 
the  community.  Faces  once  radiant  with  smiles  are  saddened 
with  grief,  for  the  dark  shadow  which  death  casts  falls  everywhere. 
How  true  are  the  lines  of  the  poet :  — 

"  There  is  no  fireside,  howsoe'er  defended, 
But  has  one  vacant  chair." 

It  is  a  constant  joy  to  the  president  and  the  committee  that 
they  are  able  to  mitigate  to  such  a  large  extent  the  misery  and 
need  which  are  brought  under  their  notice;  and  it  must  be  an 
equal  joy  to  the  subscribers  to  know  that  their  loving  contribu- 
tions furnish  the  sinews  for  this  holy  war. 

As  our  Sunday-school  is  affiliated  to  the  Sunday-school  Union, 
we  allow  the  boys  who  desire  to  do  so  to  sit  for  examination.  Ot 
the  candidates  who  were  successful  at  the  last  examination,  three 
gained  prizes,  twelve  first-class  certificates,  and  thirty-eight  second- 
class  certificates. 

During  the  year  the  boys  took  part  in  the  Crystal  Palace 
Musical  Festivals  arranged  by  the  Band  of  Hope  Union  and  the 
Tonic  Sol-fa  Association. 

In  order  to  make  the  character  and  claims  of  the  institution 
more  widely  known,  the  head  master  and  the  secretary  have  held 
meetings  in  London  and  the  provinces,  and  the  success  which  has 
crowned  their  effi^rts  is  of  a  very  gratifying  character.  The  boys 
who  accompany  them  to  sing  and  to  recite  furnish  a  powerful 
appeal  by  their  appearance  and  conduct,  and  commend  the  insti- 
tution to  which  they  owe  so  much.  The  local  papers  speak  in 
terms  of  the  highest  praise  of  their  services,  and  thus  a  most 
effective  advertisement  is  secured  without  any  cost  to  the  institu- 


l8o  LIFE  AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

tion.  So  far  as  the  boys  are  concerned  these  trips  have  an  educa- 
tional value,  for  they  get  to  know  a  great  deal  of  the  products 
and  industries  of  different  parts  of  the  country,  besides  securing 
the  advantage  of  being  brought  into  contact  with  Christian  families 
where  they  reside  during  their  visit. 

The  amount  realized  during  the  year,  after  defraying  all  ex- 
penses, is  $3,320,  and  our  thanks  are  hereby  tendered  to  all  who 
assisted  in  any  way  to  secure  such  a  splendid  result. 

The  committee  record  with  thankfulness  that  there  has  been 
no  lack  in  the  funds  contributed  for  the  efficient  maintenance  of 
the  institution.  Friends  prefer  to  give  donations  rather  than 
pledge  themselves  to  send  annual  subscriptions,  and  the  benevo- 
lence thus  manifested  is  purely  spontaneous.  The  admirable 
custom  of  making  shirts  for  the  boys  is  still  continued  by  the 
young  ladies  of  an  educational  establishment,  who  send  in  a  sup- 
ply of  two  hundred  shirts  every  year.  Their  efforts  are  supple- 
mented by  several  working  associations,  but  the  supply  is  not  yet 
equal  to  the  demand,  and  we  cordially  invite  the  co-operation  of 
others,  to  whom  we  shall  be  glad  to  send  samples  and  patterns. 

The  work  of  caring  for  the  widow  and  the  fatherless  is  specially 
mentioned  by  the  Holy  Spirit  as  one  of  the  most  acceptable 
modes  of  giving  outward  expression  to  pure  religion  and  undefiled 
before  God  and  the  Father,  and  therefore  the  Lord's  people  will 
not  question  that  they  should  help  in  carrying  it  out.  Will  it 
need  much  pleading?  If  so,  we  cannot  use  it,  as  we  shrink  from 
marring  the  willinghood  which  is  the  charm  of  such  a  service. 
The  work  is  carried  on  in  dependence  upon  God,  and  as  His 
blessing  evidently  rests  upon  it,  we  are  confident  the  means  will 
be  forthcoming  as  the  need  arises.  While  commending  the  work 
to  our  Heavenly  Father  in  prayer,  we  deem  it  right  to  lay  before 
the  stewards  of  His  bounty  the  necessities  and  claims  of  the 
institution.  , 

The  year  1880  will  be  a  memorable  one  in  the  history  of  the 
institution,  and  we  record  with  gratitude  the  fact  that  the  founda- 
tion-stones of  the  first  four  houses  for  the  Girls'  Orphanage  were 
laid  on  the  22d  of  June,  when  the  president's  birthday  was 
celebrated.     It  was  a  joy  to  all  present  that  Mrs.  Spurgeon  was 


ANNUAL   REPORT,    1881.  iSl 

able  to  lay  the  memorial  stone  of  "  The  Sermon  House,  the 
gift  of  C.  H.  Spurgcon  and  his  esteemed  pubhshers,  Messrs. 
Passmore  and  Alabaster."  The  memorial  stone  of  another  house, 
the  gift  of  Mr.  W.  R.  Rickett,  and  called  "  The  Limes,  in  tender 
memory  of  five  beloved  children,"  was  laid  b}'  C  H.  Spurgeon, 
who  made  a  touching  allusion  to  the  sad  event  thus  commemo- 
rated. Mrs.  Samuel  Barrow  laid  the  memorial  stone  of  the  house 
called  "  The  Olives,"  the  amount  for  its  erection  having  been 
given  and  collected  by  her  beloved  husband.  The  trustees  of  the 
institution  having  subscribed  the  funds  for  the  erection  of  a  house, 
the  treasurer,  Mr.  William  Higgs,  laid,  in  their  name,  the  memorial 
stone  which  bears  the  inscription,  "  Erected  by  the  Trustees  of  the 
Orphanage  to  express  their  joy  in  this  service  of  love." 

At  the  present  moment  the  buildings  of  the  Orphanage  form  a 
great  square,  enclosing  a  fine  space  for  air  and  exercise.  Visitors 
generally  express  great  surprise  at  the  beauty  and  openness  of 
the  whole  establishment.  Much  remains  to  be  done  before  the 
institution  is  completely  accommodated ;  there  is  needed  an 
infirmary  for  the  girls,  and  till  that  is  built  one  of  the  houses 
will  have  to  be  used  for  that  purpose,  thus  occupying  the  space 
which  would  otherwise  be  filled  by  thirty  or  forty  children :  this 
should  be  attended  to  at  an  early  date.  Baths  and  washhouses 
will  be  urgently  required  for  the  girls,  and  we  propose  to  make 
them  sufficiently  commodious  for  the  girls  to  do  the  washing  for 
the  entire  community  of  five  hundred  children,  thus  instructing 
them  in  household  duties  and  saving  a  considerable  expense. 
We  would  not  spend  a  sixpence  needlessly.  No  money  has  been 
wasted  in  lavish  ornament  or  in  hideous  ugliness.  The  buildings 
are  not  a  workhouse  or  a  county  jail,  but  a  pleasant  residence  for 
those  children  of  whom  God  declares  Himself  to  be  the  Father. 
The  additional  buildings  which  we  contemplate  are  not  for  luxury, 
but  for  necessary  uses ;  and  as  we  endeavor  to  lay  out  money 
with  judicious  economy,  we  feel  sure  that  we  shall  be  trusted  in 
the  future  as  in  the  past. 

Are  there  not  friends  waiting  to  take  a  share  in  the  Stockwell 
Orphanage  Building?  They  cannot  better  commemorate  personal 
blessings,  nor  can  they  find  a  more  suitable  memorial  for  departed 

IS 


iSz  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    Sl'URGEON. 

friends.  No  storied  urn  or  animated  bust  can  half  so  well  record 
the  memory  of  beloved  ones  as  a  stone  in  an  Orphan  House. 
Most  of  the  buildings  arc  already  appropriated  as  memorials  in 
some  form  or  other,  and  only  a  few  more  will  be  needed.  Very 
soon  all  building  operations  will  be  complete,  and  those  who  have 
lost  the  opportunity  of  becoming  shareholders  in  the  Home  of 
Mercy  may  regret  their  delay.  At  any  rate,  none  who  place  a 
stone  in  the  walls  of  the  Stockwell  Orphanage  will  ever  lament 
that  they  did  this  deed  of  love  to  the  little  ones  for  whom  Jesus 
cares.  Honored  names  are  with  us  already  engraven  upon  the 
stones  of  this  great  Hostelry  of  the  All-merciful ;  and  many  others 
are  our  co-workers  whose  record  is  on  high,  though  unknown 
among  men.  Who  will  be  the  next  to  join  us  in  this  happy 
labor? 

When  the  whole  of  the  buildings  are  complete,  the  institution 
will  afford  accommodation  for  five  hundred  children,  and  prove  a 
memorial  of  Christian  generosity  and  of  the  loving-kindness  of 
the  Lord. 

The  next  brief  chapter,  on  "The  Girls'  Orphange,"  is  from  th<i 
pen  of  Mr.  Spurgeon. 


XV. 
THE    GIRLS'    ORPHANAGE. 


He  who  is  the  feeder  of  sparrows  will  also  furnish  you  with  what  you  need. 
Sit  not  down  in  despair;  hope  on,  hope  ever.  Take  up  the  arms  of  faith 
against  a  sea  of  fears,  "and  by  opposing  end  them."  There  is  One  above 
who  cares  for  you,  though  all  men  deny  you  sympathy.  He  gave  His  Son  to 
redeem  you,  and  He  will  not  suffer  His  redeemed  to  be  famished.  He  will 
hear  your  crj-.     At  any  rate,  try  Him  and  see.  —  C  H.  Spurgeon. 


THE    GIRLS'    ORPHANAGE. 


IN  our  address  at  the  presentation  of  the  late  testimonial,  we 
disclaimed  all  personal  credit  for  the  existence  of  any  one  of 
the  enterprises  over  which  we  preside,  because  each  one  of  them 
has  been  forced  upon  us.  "  I  could  not  help  undertaking  them," 
was  our  honest  and  just  confession.  This  is  literally  true,  and 
another  illustration  of  this  fact  is  now  to  come  before  the  Chris- 
tian public.  Several  of  us  have  long  cherished  the  idea  that  the 
time  would  come  in  which  we  should  have  an  Orphanage  for  girls 
as  well  as  for  boys.  It  would  be  hard  to  conceive  why  this  should 
not  be.  It  seems  ungallant,  not  to  say  unrighteous,  to  provide 
for  children  of  one  sex  only,  for  are  not  all  needy  little  ones  dear 
to  Christ,  with  whom  there  is  neither  male  nor  female?  We  do 
not  Hke  to  do  such  things  by  halves,  and  it  is  but  half  doing  the 
thing  to  leave  the  girls  out  in  the  cold.  We  have  all  along  wished 
to  launch  out  in  the  new  direction,  but  we  had  quite  enough  on 
hand  for  the  time  being,  and  were  obliged  to  wait.  The  matter 
has  been  thought  of,  and  talked  about,  and  more  than  half  prom- 
ised, but  nothing  has  come  of  it  till  this  present,  and  now,  as  we 
believe  ^t  the  exact  moment,  the  hour  has  struck,  and  the  voice  of 
God  in  providence  says,  "  Go  forward."  The  fund  for  the  Girls' 
Orphanage  has  commenced,  and  there  'are  about  a  dozen  names 
upon  the  roll  at  the  moment  of  our  writing.  The  work  will  be 
carried  on  with  vigor  as  the  Lord  shall  be  pleased  to  send  the 
means,  but  it  will  not  be  unduly  pushed  upon  any  one  so  as  to  be 
regarded  as  a  new  burden,  for  we  want  none  but  cheerful  helpers, 
who  will  count   it  a  privilege  to   have  a  share  in  the  good  work. 


lS6  1-I1*'E   AND    LABORS    ()!•    C.    M.    SPURGEON. 

We  shall  employ  no  collector  to  make  a  percentage  by  dunning 
the  unwilling,  and  shall  make  no  private  appeals  to  individuals. 
There  is  the  case :  if  it  be  a  good  one  and  you  are  able  to  help  it, 
please  do  so ;  but  if  you  have  no  wish  in  that  direction,  our  Lord's 
work  does  not  require  us  to  go  a  begging  like  a  pauper,  and  we  do 
not  intend  to  do  so. 

We  Jiave  never  been  in  debt  yet,  nor  have  we  had  a  mortgage  upon 
any  of  our  buildings,  nor  have  we  eve)t  borrowed  money  for  a  time, 
bid  we  have  always  been  able  to  pay  as  we  have  gone  on.  Our 
prayer  is  that  we  may  never  have  to  come  down  to  a  lower 
platform  and  commence  borrowing. 

It  has  often  happened  that  we  have  been  unable  to  assist  widows 
in  necessitous  circumstances  with  large  families,  because  there  did 
not  happen  to  be  a  boy  of  the  special  age  required  by  the  rules  of 
our  Boys'  Orphanage.  There  were  several  girls,  but  then  we  could 
not  take  girls,  and  however  deserving  the  case,  we  have  been 
unable  to  render  any  assistance  to  very  deserving  widows,  simply 
because  their  children  were  not  boys.  This  is  one  reason  why  we 
need  a  Girls'  Orphanage. 

Everywhere  also  there  is  an  outcry  about  the  scarcity  of  good 
servants,  honest  servants,  industrious  servants,  well-trained  ser- 
vants. We  know  where  to  find  the  sisters  who  will  try  to  produce 
such  workers  out  of  the  little  ones  who  will  come  under  their 
care. 

We  have  succeeded  by  God's  grace  and  the  diligent  care  of  our 
masters  and  matrons  in  training  the  lads  so  that  they  have  become 
valuable  to  business  men  :  why  should  not  the  same  divine  help 
direct  us  with  the  lasses,  so  that  domestics  and  governesses  should 
go  forth  from  us  as  well  as  clerks  and  artisans?  We  believe  that 
there  are  many  friends  who  will  take  a  special  interest  in  the  girls, 
and  that  there  are  some  whose  trades  would  more  readily  enable 
them  to  give  articles  suitable  for  girls  than  those  which  are  useful 
to  boys. 

Here  is  a  grand  opportunity  for  Christian  people  with  means  to 
take  their  places  among  the  first  founders  of  this  new  institution, 
and  if  they  judge  that  such  a  work  will  be  good  and  useful,  we 
hope  that  they  will  without  fail,  and  zvitJiont  delay,   come  to  our 


THE   GIRLS'   ORPI.ANAGE.  187 

assistance  in  this  fresh  branch  of  service.  We  cannot  afford  to  lose 
a  single  penny  from  the  funds  for  the  boys,  but  this  work  for  the 
girls  must  be  something  extra  and  above.  You  helped  Willie  and 
Tommy:  will  you  not  help  Mary  and  Maggie? 

It  is  very  needful  to  add  that  foolish  persons  often  say:  Mr. 
Spurgeon  can  get  plenty  of  money,  and  needs  no  help.  If  all 
were  to  talk  in  this  fashion,  where  would  our  many  works  drift  to? 
Mr.  Spurgeon  does  get  large  sums,  but  not  a  penny  more  than 
the  various  works  require,  and  he  gets  it  because  God  moves  His 
people  to  give  it,  as  he  hopes,  good  reader,  He  may  move  you. 
We  have  no  personal  end  to  serve,  we  do  not,  directly  or  indirectly, 
gain  a  single  penny  by  the  Orphanage,  College,  or  any  other  socie- 
ties over  which  we  preside ;  neither  have  we  any  wealthy  persons 
around  us  who  are  at  a  loss  to  dispose  of  their  property ;  but  our 
hard-working  church  keeps  continually  consecrating  its  offerings, 
and  our  friends  far  and  near  think  upon  us.  Our  treasury  is  the 
bounty  of  God,  our  motto  is :  The  Lord  will  PROVIDE.  Past 
mercy  forbids  a  doubt  as  to  the  future,  and  so  in  the  name  of  God 
we  set  up  our  banners. 

The  girls'  part  is  not  yet  fully  complete,  but  it  soon  will  be  so, 
and  then  we  must  take  in  the  girls.  Now  it  occurs  to  me  to  let 
my  fpends  know  the  increased  need  which  has  arisen,  and  will  arise 
from  the  doubling  o  the  number  of  children.  The  income  must 
by  some  means  be  doubled.  My  trust  is  in  the  Lord  alone,  for 
whose  sake  I  bear  this  burden  I  believe  that  He  has  led  me  all 
along  in  the  erection  and  carrying  on  of  this  enterprise,  and  I  am 
also  well  assured  that  His  own  hand  pointed  to  the  present  exten- 
sion, and  supplied  the  means  for  making  it.  I  therefore  rest  in 
the  providence  of  God  alone.  But  the  food  for  the  children  will 
not  drop  as  manna  from  heaven,  it  will  be  sent  in  a  way  which  is 
more  beneficial,  for  the  graceo  of  His  children  will  be  displayed 
in  the  liberality  which  will  supply  the  needs  of  the  orphans.  God 
will  neither  feed  the  children  by  angels  nor  by  ravens,  but  by  the 
loving  gifts  of  His  people.  It  is  needful,  therefore,  that  I  tell  my 
friends  of  our  need,  and  I  do  hereby  tell  them.  The  institution 
will  need,  in  rough  figures,  about  one  thousand  dollars  a  week. 


iSS  LIFE    AND   LABORS   OF   C.   H.   SPURGEON. 

This  is  a  large  sum,  and  when  I  think  of  it  I  am  appalled  if 
Satan  suggests  the  question :  "  What  if  the  money  does  not  come 
in?"  But  it  is  nothing  to  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth  to  feed 
five  hundred  little  ones.  He  has  kept  two  hundred  and  fifty  boys 
for  these  years,  and  He  can  do  the  like  for  the  same  number  of 
girls.  Only  let  not  His  stewards  say  that  there  is  no  need  at  Stock- 
well,  for  there  is  great  and  crying  need  that  all  my  friends  should 
inquire  whether  they  may  not  wisely  render  me  much  more  aid 
than  they  have  done.  The  buildings  are  not  all  finished  yet,  nor 
the  roads  made,  but  this  will  soon  be  accomplished,  and  then  the 
institution  will  be  in  full  operation,  and  its  requirements  will  be 
great.  I  have  written  these  lines  with  a  measure  of  reluctance ; 
and  I  hope  it  is  not  in  unbelief,  but  as  a  reasonable  service,  that  I 
have  thus  stated  the  case. 


XVI. 
SUNSHINE    IN    THE    HEART. 


Dear  friend,  whether  you  die  as  soon  as  you  are  born  again,  or  remain  on 
earth  for  many  years,  is  comparatively  a  small  matter,  and  will  not  materially 
alter  your  indebtedness  to  divine  grace.  In  the  one  case  the  great  Husband- 
man will  show  how  He  can  bring  His  flowers  speedily  to  perfection  ;  and  in 
the  other  He  will  prove  how  He  can  preserve  them  in  blooming  beauty,  despite 
the  trosts  and  snows  of  earth's  cruel  winter:  in  either  case  your  experience 
will  reveal  the  same  love  and  power.  — ^  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


SUNSHINE    IN   THE    HEART. 


ABUNDANT  evidence  has  been  given  to  assure  the  foundei 
and  patrons  of  the  Orphanage  that  the  aim  ever  in  view, 
viz.,  the  spiritual  good  of  the  children,  is  being  constantly  realized. 
The  little  ones  who  have  been  removed  by  death  have  died  in 
the  Lord.  Mr.  Charlesworth,  the  head  master,  tells  the  following 
pathetic  story  concerning  one  of  "  these  little  ones  "  :  — 

During  the  history  of  the  Orphanage  we  have  received  a  num- 
ber of  children  to  whom  has  been  bequeathed  a  heritage  of  dis- 
ease. In  many  cases,  we  are  thankful  to  say,  delicate  boys,  of 
whom  at  first  we  stood  in  doubt,  have  become  strong  and  healthy 
youths.  God  has  been  very  gracious  in  blessing  the  ministra- 
tions of  doctors  and  nurses  to  the  complete  renovation  of  consti- 
tutions enfeebled  by  disease,  neglect,  or  want.  Our  death-rate 
has  been  very  small  considering  the  large  proportion  of  children 
whose  parents  died  of  pulmonary  disease  and  other  hereditary 
complaints.  Only  thirteen  out  of  five  hundred  and  sixty-seven 
have  been  removed  by  death  during  their  term,  and  of  these  one 
died  in  a  fit  within  a  few  hours  of  his  admission,  and  another  of 
scarlet  fever  while  away  for  a  holiday.  With  the  exception  of  one 
boy,  who  died  of  scarlet  fever,  all  the  rest  fell  victims  to  inherited 
disease. 

With  devout  gratitude  to  our  Heavenly  Father  we  record  the 
pleasing  fact  that  all  who  have  died  in  the  institution  not  only  gave 
evidence  of  conversion,  but  experienced  the  rapture  of  saints  who 
are  fully  assured  of  their  personal  interest  in  the  Saviour  and  of 


192  LIFE  AND    LABORS   OF   C.   H.    SPURGEON. 

their  eternal  home  in  the  house  of  many  mansions.  In  the  little 
books  entitled  "  Love  Jesus  and  Live  for  Heaven  "  and  "  Little 
Dicky"  we  have  endeavored  to  describe  the  dying  experiences 
of  two  of  the  boys,  and  now  it  has  fallen  to  our  lot  to  write  of 
another  who  has  only  just  fallen  asleep.  The  realities  thus  de- 
scribed may  seem  to  some  to  belong  to  the  realm  of  fiction ;  but 
we  ask  to  be  believed  vv^hen  we  affirm  that  we  have  not  exagger- 
ated, nor  even  colored,  a  single  expression. 

Ernest  Edgar  Bray,  the  last  of  the  number  called  to  the  fold 
above,  came  to  us  after  he  had  lost  both  parents.  He  was  a 
simple-minded,  affectionate  boy,  but  for  several  years  he  was  pos- 
sessed of  very  little  moral  consciousness.  His  conduct  at  times 
was  a  severe  strain  upon  the  patience  of  his  matron  and  teachers, 
and  on  several  occasions  he  brought  himself  into  disgrace  by  his 
folly  and  sin.  We  mention  this  at  the  outset  to  show  that  he  had 
no  natural  bias  towards  goodness,  and  that  his  Christian  character 
was  not  due  to  the  development  of  inherited  virtues.  The  child- 
piety  of  the  theorists  is  a  quality  we  have  never  met  with  during 
a  long  experience ;  but  the  piety  which  springs  from  a  regener- 
ated nature  is  a  beautiful  adornment  we  have  often  witnessed.  In 
every  such  case  the  character  and  conduct  after  conversion  formed 
a  striking  contrast  to  all  that  had  gone  before.  The  change  was 
so  radical,  that  the  second  phase  of  experience  seemed  to  belong 
to  another  individual.  "  From  darkness  to  light "  indicates  the 
change  of  which  a  new-born  soul  is  conscious ;  "  from  the  king- 
dom of  Satan  into  the  kingdom  of  God's  dear  Son  "  suggests  the 
altered  relationship  into  which  a  "  child  of  God  "  enters.  The 
change  is  not  a  development,  but  a  translation.  If  it  be  claimed 
by  some  that  the  artless  simplicity  of  childhood  carries  with  it  the 
germs  of  a  Christian  character,  and  that  children  ought  to  grow 
up,  under  proper  nurture,  and  "  never  know  themselves  as  other 
than  Christian,"  we  challenge  the  theory  by  demanding  an  illus- 
tration. If  a  case  in  point  be*  adduced,  we  shall  then  claim  the 
liberty  to  withhold  our  assent  unless  we  can  be  certified  that  no 
radical  change  has  ever  been  effected  by  the  grace  of  God.  We 
believe  it  to  be  contrary  to  the  testimony  of  the  Word  of  God 
and  to  the   uniform  experience  of  Christians  for  the  twilight  of 


SUNSHINE   IN   THE   HEART. 


'93 


natural  virtues  to  expand  into  the  full  radiance  of  Christie n  purity 
and  joy.  The  divine  life  in  the  soul  is  a  heavenly  exotic,  and 
sanctification  is  the  result  of  the  Spirit's  operation.  "  Not  of 
works,  lest  any  man  should  boast,"  is  an  inspired  dictum,  which 
receives  unqualified  indorsement  from  all  who  belong  to  the  "  new 
creation." 

In  the  case  of  Ernest  Bray,  the  change  in  his  character  was  so 
apparent  that  no  one  could  question  the  fact  of  the  divine  agency 
by  which  it  was  wrought.  It  is  true,  the  precise  moment  of  the 
change  cannot  be  determined,  nor  can  we  indicate  the  special 
circumstance  which  culminated  in  his  conversion.  From  the  time 
of  his  admission  to  the  Orphanage  he  was  the  object  of  Christian 
solicitude  and  prayer,  and  the  subject  of  Christian  instruction  and 
training.  Twice  every  day  all  the  boys  assemble  for  family  wor- 
ship, when  a  text  is  repeated  from  memory,  the  Word  of  God  read 
and  expounded,  addresses  delivered,  and  prayer  offered.  On 
Wednesday  evening  a  special  service  is  held,  the  salvation  of  the 
boys  being  the  supreme  aim  of  the  friends  who  conduct  it;  and 
on  Sundays  the  following  plan  is  adopted :  In  the  morning  one 
detachment  is  sent  to  the  Tabernacle,  another  to  Wynne  Road 
Baptist  Chapel,  and  a  special  service  is  held  at  home  for  the 
remainder.  In  the  afternoon  a  Sunday-school  is  held,  the  boys 
being  taught  in  classes  by  friends  interested  in  the  institution.  In 
the  evening  a  separate  service  is  arranged  for  the  elder  boys,  the 
younger  ones  spending  the  time  with  their  matrons  in  their  respec- 
tive houses.  During  the  week  also  all  the  members  of  the  staflf 
"  watch  for  their  souls  as  those  who  must  give  an  account,"  and 
the  Bible  is  a  text-book  in  all  the  classes  of  the  school.  In  all 
these  arrangements  human  instrumentality  is  consecrated  to  the 
work  of  soul-winning  and  Christian  nurture,  and  our  Heavenly 
Father  is  graciously  pleased  to  bless  all  the  means  employed,  so 
that  "  he  that  soweth  and  he  that  reapeth  may  rejoice  together." 
Of  one  thing  we  are  fully  assured,  that  however  numerous  and 
distinct  the  agencies,  "  God  giveth  the  increase."  To  Him,  there- 
fore, be  all  the  glory. 

In  the  latter  half  of  the  year  1879  it  became  evident  that  Bray 
would  not  survive  the  winter,  his  lungs  betraying  deep-seated  dis- 


194  ^^^^^^  -'^^'^   LABORS   OF   C,    H.    SPURGEON. 

case.  He  was  very  reluctant  to  enter  the  infirmary,  and  bravely 
tried,  as  consumptives  usually  do,  to  conceal  his  worst  fears  re- 
specting  himself.  For  some  time  after  his  admission  the  buoy- 
ancy of  a  child's  hope  threw  the  thought  of  death  into  the  shade, 
but  at  length  the  conviction  gained  strength  that  his  end  was  not 
far  distant.  The  loving  ministry  of  his  constant  attendant  became 
more  and  more  welcome,  and  as  his  hope  of  salvation  deepened 
into  a  settled  conviction,  and  the  "  peace  of  God  "  shed  a  holy 
calm  over  his  spirit,  he  conversed  freely  of  the  preciousness  of 
Jesus  and  the  prospect  of  being  "  for  ever  with  the  Lord."  His 
face  soon  betrayed  the  secret  of  his  soul's  experience,  revealing, 
as  in  a  mirror,  the  tranquillity  of  peace  and  the  ecstasy  of  joy. 
He  said  to  one  of  his  playmates,  who  came  to  see  him  on  1m& 
return  from  the  Christmas  holidays:  "  Do  you  see  any  difference 
in  my  face?"  "Yes,"  he  replied;  "it  is  thinner."  "Oh,"  he 
replied,  "  that  is  not  what  I  mean !  Don't  you  see  it  looks  more 
shining?  "  "  Beholding,  as  in  a  glass,  the  glory  of  the  Lord,"  he 
was  being  changed  into  the  same  image,  and  he  was  conscious 
of  the  transformation.  He  often  remarked,  "  I  have  sunshine 
to  the  bottom  of  my  heart."  One  morning  he  was  singing  very 
softly  to  himself,  and  one  of  the  boys  remarked :  "  I  know  why 
you  feel  happy  just  now;  it  is  because  the  sun  is  shining!  "  Bray 
replied:  "It's  not  that;  it  is  something  inside!  Jesus!"  On 
another  occasion  he  said :  "  I  do  love  to  talk  about  Jesus ;  it 
makes  me  so  happy.  I  did  not  begin  to  love  Jesus  until  I  came 
into  the  infirmary.  I  have  loved  Him  ever  since,  but  not  half  so 
much  as  I  do  now.  The  Lord  makes  me  happy  all  day  and  all 
night.  I  don't  mind  the  long  nights  as  I  did,  because  Jesus  is 
near  me."  "  I  want  to  sing,"  he  remarked  to  a  loving  friend  who 
was  visiting  him,  "  but  I  can't !  "  She  said  :  "  Well,  you  will  raise 
a  loud  note  when  you  enter  heaven,  won't  you  ?  "  He  replied : 
"Ah,  I  shall  sing  there!  I  sing  «£'w,  inside ;  but  I  shall  sing  ^;// 
/oud  then,  and  wait  and  watch  for  you  to  come !  " 

Much  of  his  time  was  spent  in  prayer.  Entering  the  room  one 
morning,  the  nurse  heard  him  say:  "  So  happy!  so  happy!  Oh, 
Lord,  may  this  be  a  glorious  day !  Let  me  praise  Thee !  Bless 
ail  the  boys !     May  they  love  Jesus !     Forgive  all   my  sins  for 


Infirmary  —  Stockwell  Orphanage. 


SUNSHINE   IN   THE   HEART.  195 

Thy  Son's  sake !  "  Not  a  day  passed,  as  he  heard  the  boys  at 
play,  without  a  prayer  for  their  conversion,  and  as  he  lay  awake 
with  pain  during  the  long  hours  of  the  night  his  heart  went  forth 
in  earnest  supplication  that  God  would  bless  and  save  his  com- 
panions. He  said  to  the  nurse  who  was  with  him :  "  I  do  want 
to  do  something  for  Jesus.  Oh,  I  know !  I  will  try  to  write  to 
my  brother.  I  do  want  him  to  love  the  Lord  !  "  He  then  wrote 
the  following  letter :  — 

Dear  Brother,  —  I  have  much  pleasure  in  writing  these  few 
lines  to  tell  you  how  the  Lord  has  made  me  so  happy.  I  used  to 
think  I  loved  and  trusted  the  Lord  enough,  but  something  made 
me  feel  I  must  love  Him  more.  If  1  was  strong,  oh,  how  I  would 
work  for  Jesus !  I  hope  and  trust  this  letter  may  be  the  means  of 
making  you  happy  in  the  Lord.  Tell  aunt  how  very  happy  I  am. 
Good  bye,  trusting  we  both  shall  meet  in  heaven. 

Your  loving  brother, 

Ernest  Bray. 

Added  to  his  prayerfulness  and  anxiety  for  others,  his  patience 
in  enduring  pain  was  another  evidence  of  his  thorough  conver- 
sion. As  he  lay,  week  after  week,  with  declining  strength,  so  that 
the  weight  of  his  bed-clothes  became  at  length  a  burden,  and  he 
was  unable  to  shift  his  position  without  assistance,  not  a  murmur 
escaped  his  lips.  Any  little  service  rendered  by  his  loving  attend- 
ants evoked  a  cheerful  smile  or  a  grateful  "Thank  you  !  God  bless 
you  !  "  How  much  is  true  piety  seen  in  these  little  things !  They 
may  not  strike  the  reader,  but  those  who  actually  see  the  gracious 
patience  and  gratitude  know  how  to  appreciate  them.  He  said  to 
Miss  A.,  one  of  the  teachers,  a  few  days  before  his  departure :  "  I 
have  been  so  worried  this  morning ;  Satan  came  to  me  and  said : 
'  What's  the  use  o{ you  trusting?'  but  God  gave  me  the  victory 
over  him,  and  I  am  happy  now."     She  then  quoted  the  lines,  — 

"  Sin,  my  worst  enemy  before. 

Shall  vex  my  eyes  and  ears  no  more ; 
My  inward  foes  shall  all  be  slain, 
Nor  Satan  break  my  peace  again  :  " 

and  the  thought  of  his  final  and  complete  triumph  over  sin  and 
Satan  cast  a  flush  of  victory  over  his  face.     "  He  then  thanked  me 


196  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

SO  gratefully,"  this  friend  writes,  "and,  putting  his  thin  arms  round 
me,  kissing  me  many  times,  he  said :  '  Oh,  I  do  love  Jesus  and 
you !  You  are  all  such  kind  friends  to  me,  and  I  feel  Mr.  Charles- 
worth  is  a  father  to  me.  But  do  pray  for  me  that  I  may  go  soon.'" 
He  added  to  the  same  friend :  "  I  wish  I  had  strength  to  do  some- 
thing for  nurse;  she  has  done  so  much  for  me."  With  what  little 
strength  he  could  command  he  tried  to  sing  a  simple  impromptu 
couplet,  after  the  manner  of  the  Jubilee  Singers, — 

"  Oh,  come  along  with  me  to  Jesus; 
Oh,  nurse,  come  along  !  " 

Mrs.  C.  said  to  him,  as  she  sat  by  his  bedside :  "  You  will  soon  be 
home."  Putting  his  thin  hand  on  her  face,  he  exclaimed :  "  Oh, 
Mrs.  C,  I  do  hope  I  shall,  —  I  am  ready;  "  and  then  he  added: 
"  I  will  give  you  another  smile."  Before  she  left  she  kissed  him, 
and  said :  "  If  we  find  you  gone  we  shall  not  sorrow ;  it  will  be 
your  gain."  He  very  sweetly  replied :  "  I  should  be  sorry  for 
you  to  sorrow ;  I  shall  be  free  from  pain ;  safe  at  home."  So 
certain  was  his  conviction  that  he  would  soon  be  home  that  he 
said  one  day:  "I  should  like  a  sandwich,  and  then  I  don't  want 
anything  more  on  this  earth." 

There  is  a  charm  about  the  sweet  simplicity  of  faith  and  hope 
which  makes  the  religion  of  childhood  a  type  of  piety  worthy  of 
imitation.  With  all  the  eloquence  of  pathos  Jesus  took  a  little 
child  and  said,  as  He  placed  him  in  the  midst  of  the  bystanders, 
who  had  conceived  a  very  different  ideal :  "  Except  ye  be  con- 
verted, and  become  as  little  children,  ye  shall  not  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven."  When  the  sterner  virtues  of  manhood  are 
toned  by  the  feminine  graces  of  childhood  the  perfection  of  Chris- 
tian character  is  attained. 

While  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  in  Mentone,  Bray  was  very  anxious  to 
write  and  tell  him  how  happy  he  was  in  Jesus.  The  following  was 
the  letter  he  sent :  — 

Infirmary,  Stockwell  Orphanage. 

Dear  Mr.  Spurgeon, —  As  Dr.  Wylie  said  he  was  going  to 
Mentone,  I  thought  I  should  like  to  send  you  a  few  lines.  The 
last  time  you  saw  me  you  thought  I  should  soon  be  in  heaven, 
and  you  asked  the  Lord  if  you  could  soon  be  there  too,  but  the 


SUNSHINE   IN  THE   HEART.  197 

Lord  has  spared  us  both ;   and  may  the  Lord  soon  bring  you  back 

again  to  serve  and  praise  Him.     I  can't  do  much  for  Jesus,  but  1 

am  trying  to  bear  patiently  all  I  have  to  suffer.     I  am  still  in  bed, 

and  I  feel  I  can't  write  any  more. 

P  rom  one  of  your  orphan  boys, 

E.  Bray. 

To  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  replied:  — 

Mentone,  February  5. 

Dear  Bray,  — ■  I  was  so  pleased  with  your  little  note.  It  was 
so  good  of  you,  with  all  your  pain,  to  sit  up  and  write  to  me.  I 
hope  when  the  spring  weather  comes  you  will  feel  better,  but  if 
not,  you  know  of  the  "  sweet  fields  beyond  the  swelling  flood  " 
which  "  stand  dressed  in  living  green."  The  Lord  Jesus  will  be 
very  near  you.  He  feels  for  dear  suffering  children.  He  will 
keep  you  patient  and  joyful.  Oh,  how  He  loves  !  If  there  is  any- 
thing you  want,  be  sure  to  let  me  know. 

Your  loving  friend, 

C.  H.  Spurgeon. 

On  the  pastor's  return  he  came  to  see  him,  and  the  visit  seemed 
to  yield  an  equal  pleasure  to  each.  The  dear  boy  was  full  of 
gratitude  to  his  kind  friend  and  benefactor,  and  expressed  himself 
with  touching  simplicity  and  clearness  as  to  his  faith  and  hope  and 
joy.  He  talked  with  all  the  freedom  of  a  veteran  believer  whose 
long  experience  of  the  goodness  and  faithfulness  of  God  had  made 
doubt  impossible  and  faith  a  natural  impulse.  Calling  the  nurse 
to  his  side.  Bray  requested  her  to  give  him  his  purse,  and  taking 
out  four  shillings  which  he  had  saved,  he  asked  Mr.  Spurgeon  to 
accept  it  for  the  Girls'  Orphanage.  Such  an  expression  of  grati- 
tude was  very  welcome  to  the  pastor's  heart,  and,  we  doubt  not,  the 
offering  was  acceptable  to  "  The  Father  of  the  fatherless,"  whose 
smile  has  always  rested  upon  the  institution.  We  suggested  that  a 
portion  of  one  of  the  new  houses  should  be  built  with  the  money, 
and  be  called  "  Bray's  bricks,"  as  an  appropriate  memorial  of 
"  a  folded  lamb." 

In  the  course  of  the  interview  he  said  to  Mr.  Spurgeon:  "Do 
you  remember  I  once  came  to  your  house  with  another  boy,  and 
you  asked  us  if  we  could  eat  a  piece  of  plum-cake?"     It  is  not 

16 


IqS  life   and    labors   ok   C.    H.    Sl'URGEON. 

surprising  the  pastor  confessed  he  had  forgotten  this  special  in- 
stance of  kindness,  and  after  admitting  the  fact,  he  said  to  him, 
"  And  can  you  eat  a  piece  of  plum-cake  now?  "  We  shall  not  soon 
forget  how  the  child's  eyes  brightened  as  he  replied,  "  Yes ;  but 
only  a  piece  of  yours."  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  that  a  cake 
was  promised,  and  that  the  following  morning  it  was  duly  for- 
warded, Mr.  Spurgeon  sending  at  the  same  time  some  crystall'^ed 
violets  and  rose-leaves  from  Mentone.  A  very  touching  p<ayei 
from  the  pastor  closed  the  interview,  and  kissing  the  little  sufferer, 
he  promised  to  carry  a  request  to  the  prayer-meeting,  and  ask  the 
elders  to  join  in  prayer  for  the  conversion  of  all  the  boys.  The 
message  was  duly  delivered,  and  the  assembly  engaged  in  prayer 
in  response  to  the  expressed  wish  of  the  little  sufferer.  The 
following  Monday  he  sent  a  piece  of  the  cake  to  the  elders,  with 
the  message :  "  Tell  them  I  want  them  all  to  pray  for  me  to-night, 
that  I  may  soon  go  home.  Ask  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  pray  for  me 
too ;  and  ask  him  to  pray  for  all  the  other  boys  in  the  Orphanage, 
that  they  may  meet  me  in  heaven."  And  then  he  added,  "  Oh,  I 
do  long  to  go  home  !  "  Poor  dear  boy,  the  weariness  and  languor 
which  come  from  the  wasting  of  disease  and  long  wakefulness 
intensified  his  longing  for  "  the  rest  that  remaineth."  Nor  was  it 
the  craving  for  rest  merely  which  directed  his  soul  heavenward ; 
he  said  to  Mr.  Bartlett,  who  visited  him  on  several  occasions : 
"  How  good  of  God  to  bless  me,  a  poor  weak  boy !  Oh,  how 
happy  it  makes  me !  I  long  now  to  be  with  Jesus,  and  I  hope  He 
will  soon  take  me,  for  /  want  to  see  His  face ! "  The  highest 
aspiration  of  an  advanced  saint  never  reached  beyond  this  —  to 
find  the  fulness  of  heaven's  bliss  in  the  vision  of  the  face  of  Jesus. 
On  the  eve  of  his  departure  his  soul  went  out  in  the  prayer: 
"Dear  Lord,  do  come  soon  !  Jesus,  come  quickly!  Take  me  !  " 
With  a  peculiar  emphasis  he  seemed  to  read  the  text:  "When 
my  father  and  my  mother  forsake  me,  then  the  Lord  will  take  me 
up  !  "  During  the  last  night  of  his  sojourn  here,  the  hours  wore 
wearily  away,  and  the  twilight  of  the  early  morn  had  scarcely 
chased  the  lingering  shadows  from  the  landscape,  when  it  became 
evident  that  another  and  a  brighter  day  was  dawning,  which  would 
never  be  succeeded  by  night. 


SUNSHINE   IN   THE   HEARl.  I99 

The  friend  who  had  watched  him  during  the  first  part  of  his 
iUness,  and  whose  loving  ministry  had  been  greatly  blessed  to  him, 
was   early   at   his    bedside.     The   first   request  he   proffered    was, 

"Don't  leave,  Miss  M !     I  can't  live  through  the  day!  "     He 

meant  he  could  not  live  here ;  he  well  knew  that  life  in  its  fulness 
awaited  him  in  the  bright  awakening  beyond.  When  his  posture 
was  changed  to  afford  him  temporary  ease,  he  lay  in  silence  for  a 
few  seconds,  and  then  repeated  the  consoling  message  which  had 
reached  his  spirit  as  by  an  angel's  whisper:  ''My  lamb,  it's  nearly 
over"  Oh,  the  infinite  tenderness  which  that  message  breathes ! 
Jesus  was  very  near,  and  the  mantle  of  His  dear  love  was  thrown 
around  the  sufferer,  enfolding  him  as  in  an  armor  of  triple  steel,  to 
ensure  immunity  from  the  darts  of  the  enemy.  All  heaven  stood 
revealed  to  his  enraptured  gaze,  and  the  ward  of  the  Orphanage 
Infirmary  proved  again  the  vestibule  of  the  eternal  home.    "  There 

He  is,  Miss  M !  There  's  Jesus  !   and  Cockerton  !  and  Dicky  !  " 

was    his   rapturous   exclamation  as  "  things  seen   and    temporal " 

were  fading  from  his  vision.     "  Can't  you  seem  Him,  Miss  M ? 

Oh,  look,  they  're  all  around  my  bed  !  "  It  seemed  impossible  to 
him  that  the  eyes  of  the  watchers  by  his  bed  could  be  closed 
against  the  glories  of  such  a  transfiguration  scene.  He  wanted 
all  about  his  bed  to  enjoy  the  blessedness  of  the  beatific  vision, 
and  they,  too,  shared  the  same  desire.  Though  the  lips  did  not 
give  it  expression,  each  heart  breathed  the  prayer :  "  Let  my  last 
end  be  like  his."  With  the  sting  of  death  gone,  the  terror  of  the 
grave  vanished,  heaven  open,  Jesus  near,  and  angels  waiting,  no 
wonder  he  exclaimed,  with  almost  his  last  breath :  "  Happy ! 
happy !  happy !  "  In  a  few  minutes  all  was  over,  and  another 
trophy  of  grace  had  joined  the  company  of  the  redeemed  in 
heaven.  As  the  spring  sun  shone  forth  just  then,  cheering  with 
his  bright  rays  the  world  which  during  the  winter  had  been  envel- 
oped in  fog,  nature  seemed  to  say  to  us :  Life's  winter  months  are 
over  now,  and  the  everlasting  spring  has  come ;  the  night  of  weep- 
ing is  ended,  and  the  morning  of  joy  has  dawned.  To  the  vision 
of  our  faith  the  pathway  to  heaven  stood  revealed,  and  in  the 
ecstasy  of  the  moment  we  could  hear  the  sweet  echoes  of  the 
greeting  in  the  world  beyond. — 


S-X)  LIFE  AND   LABORS    OF   C.    II.    SPURGEON. 

"Come  in,  thou  blessed,  sit  by  Me; 
With  My  own  life  1  ransomed  thee  ; 

Enjoy  My  perfect  favor: 
Come  in,  thou  ransomed  spirit,  come, 
Thou  now  must  dwell  with  Me  at  home  ; 
Ye  blissful  mansions,  make  him  room, 

For  he  must  stay  forever." 

In  his  interesting  and  remarkable  book,  entitled  "  Sunlight  and 
Shadow;  or,  Gleanings  from  my  Lifework,"  *  Mr.  Gough  thus 
describes  a  day  he  spent  with  Mr.  Spurgeon :  — 

I  would  like  to  give  you  one  incident  to  illustrate  the  man  in 
his  greatness  and  simplicity.  He  wished  me  to  visit  his  Boys'  Or- 
phanage at  Stockwell.  I  could  go  only  on  Saturday,  and  his  note 
to  me  was  characteristic : 

"  Beloved  friend, —  Although  I  'never  go  out  on  Saturdays,  my 
horses,  being  under  the  law  and  not  under  grace,  keep  the  seventh- 
day  Sabbath,  yet  we  will  arrange  to  visit,"  etc. 

A  beautiful  day  it  was,  for  London,  as  we  rode  together,  chat- 
ting all  the  way.  The  history  of  the  Orphanage  is  intensely  inter- 
esting. The  commencement  was  a  sum  of  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  to  Mr.  Spurgeon,  from  a  lady,  to  commence  an  orphanage 
for  fatherless  boys.  All  the  money  that  has  been  expended 
has  been  raised  by  voluntary  contributions,  and  the  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  is  invested  as  an  endowment. 

When  we  entered  the  grounds,  the  boys  set  up  a  shout  of  joy 
at  the  sight  of  their  benefactor. 

I  asked,  "What  are  the  requirements  for  admission?" 

He  said,  "  Utter  destitution.  Nothing  denominational.  We 
have  more  of  the  Church  of  England  than  of  the  Baptists. 
We  have  Roman  Catholics,  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  —  all 
sorts." 

After  the  boys  had  gone  through  their  gymnastic  exercises 
and  military  drill,  I  spoke  a  few  words  to  them.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
was  like  a  great  boy  among  boys. 

He  said,  "There  are  two  hundred  and  forty  boys,  —  only  think! 
How  many  pence  are  there  in  a  shilling?  " 

*  Hartford  :   A.  D.  Worth ington  &  Co. 


SUNSHINE   IN    THE   HEART. 

*'  Twelve." 

"  Right.     How  many  shillings  in  a  pound?  " 

'*  Twenty." 

"  Right.     Twelve  times  twenty,  how  many?  " 

"Two  hundred  and  forty." 

"  That 's  a  penny  apiece  each  boy." 


20 1 


BOYS'      PLAYGROUND, 

Stockwell  Orphanage. 


"  Here,  Mr.  Charlesworth,"  handing  him  a  sovereign,  "  give 
these  boys  a  penny  apiece,"  when  a  shrill,  hearty  hurrah  was 
given  as  Mr.  Spurgeon  turned  away  with  a  laugh  of  keen  enjoy- 
ment. 


203  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

"Will  you  go  to  the  infirmary?  We  have  an  infirmary  And 
quarantine ;  for  sometimes  the  poor  creatures  we  take  in  need  a 
good  deal  of  purifying.  We  have  one  boy  very  ill  with  consump- 
tion;  he  cannot  live,  and  I  wish  to  see  him,  for  he  Avould  be 
disappointed  if  he  knew  I  had  been  here  and  had  not  seen  him." 

We  went  into  the  cool  and  sweet  chamber,  and  there  lay  the 
boy.  He  was  very  much  excited  when  he  saw  Mr.  Spurgeon. 
The  great  preacher  sat  by  his  side,  and  I  cannot  describe  the 
scene.     Holding  the  boy's  hand  in  his,  he  said : 

"  Well,  my  dear,  you  have  some  precious  promises  in  sight 
all  round  the  room.  Now,  dear,  you  are  going  to  die,  and  you  are 
very  tired  lying  here,  and  soon  will  be  free  from  all  pain,  and  you 
will  rest.     Nurse,  did  he  rest  last  night?  " 

"  He  coughed  very  much." 

"  Ah,  my  dear  boy,  it  seems  very  hard  for  you  to  lie  here  all  day 
in  pain,  and  cough  at  night.     Do  you  love  Jesus?" 

"  Yes." 

"Jesus  loves  you.  He  bought  you  with  His  precious  blood, 
and  He  knows  what  is  best  for  you.  It  seems  hard  for  you  to  lie 
here  and  listen  to  the  shouts  of  the  healthy  boys  outside  at  play. 
But  soon  Jesus  will  take  you  home,  and  then  He  will  tell  you 
the  reason,  and  you  will  be  so  glad." 

Then,  laying  his  hand  on  the  boy,  without  the  formality  of  kneel- 
ing, he  said:  "O  Jesus,  Master,  this  dear  child  is  reaching  out  his 
thin  hand  to  find  Thine.  Touch  him,  dear  Saviour,  with  Thy  loving, 
warm  clasp.  ■  Lift  him  as  he  passes  ^the  cold  river,  that  his  feet  be 
not  chilled  by  the  water  of  death ;  take  him  home  in  Thine  own 
good  time.  Comfort  and  cherish  him  till  that  good  time  comes. 
Show  him  Thyself  as  he  lies  here,  and  let  him  see  Thee,  and  knoA\' 
Thee  more  and  more  as  his  loving  Saviour." 

After  a  moment's  pause,  he  said,  "  Now,  dear,  is  there  anything 
you  would  like?  Would  you  like  a  little  canary  in  a  cage,  to 
hear  him  sing  in  the  morning?  Nurse,  see  that  he  has  a  canary 
to-morrow  morning.  Good-bye,  my  dear;  you  will  see  the 
Saviour,  perhaps  before  I  shall." 

I  have  seen  Mr.  Spurgeon  hold  by  his  power  sixty-five  hundred 
persons  in  a  breathless  interest;    I  knew  him  as  a  great  man  uni- 


SUNSHINE   IN  THE   HEARi'.  203 

versally  esteemed  and  beloved ;  but  as  he  sat  by  the  bedside  of  a 
dying  pauper  child,  whom  his  beneficence  had  rescued,  he  was  to 
me  a  greater  and  grander  man  than  when  swaying  the  mighty 
multitude  at  his  will. 

The  Stockwell  Orphanage  receives  fatherless  boys  and  girls 
between  the  ages  of  six  and  ten.  It  is  supported  by  voluntary 
contributions  and  by  the  revenue  from  the  capital  fund,  which 
yields  less  than  one-fourth  of  the  income  required.  It  is  con- 
ducted on  the  Cottage  System  :  each  home  is  presided  over  by  a 
godly  matron.  It  is  unsectarian :  children  are  received,  irrespec- 
tive of  their  denominational  connection,  from  all  parts  of  the 
United  Kingdom.  That  the  most  needy,  helpless,  and  deserving 
may  secure  the  benefits  of  the  institution,  candidates  are  selected 
by  the  committee,  and  are  not  elected  by  the  expensive  and  ob- 
jectionable process  of  polling  the  subscribers.  No  uniform  dress 
is  provided,  but  the  children's  garments  differ,  in  order  that  no 
peculiar  garb  may  mark  the  children  with  the  badge  of  poverty. 
The  children  receive  a  plain  but  thorough  English  education 
and  training.  The  supreme  aim  of  the  managers  is  always  kept 
in  view  —  to  "bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord." 


204 


LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 


PSALM    IJCX. 

Make  haste,  O  God,  my  soul  to  bless, 
My  help  and  my  deliverer  Thou  ! 

Make  haste !  for  1  'm  in  deep  distress, 
My  case  is  urgent,  —  help  me  now/ 

Make  haste,  O  God  !  make  haste  to  save  ! 

For  time  is  short  and  death  is  nigh  1 
Make  haste  !  ere  yet  I  'm  in  my  grave, 

And  with  the  lost  for  ever  he. 

Make  haste  !  for  I  am  poor  and  low. 

And  Satan  mocks  my  prayers  and  tears; 

O  God,  in  mercy  be  not  slow. 

But  snatch  me  from  my  horrid  fears. 

Make  haste,  O  God,  and  hear  my  cries  ! 

Then  with  the  souls  who  seek  Thy  face, 
And  those  who  Thy  salvation  prize, 

I  '11  magnify  Thy  matchless  grace. 


C.  H.  Spurgeom. 


XVII. 
THE    COLPORTAGE    ASSOCIATION, 


The  Church  is  God's  hospice,  where  He  distributes  bread  and  wine  to  refresh 
the  weary,  and  entertains  wayfarers  that  else  had  been  lost  in  the  storm.  The 
Church  is  God's  hospital,  into  which  He  takes  the  sick,  and  there  He  nourishes 
them  till  they  renew  their  youth  like  the  eagles.  It  is  God's  great  Pharos,  with 
its  lantern  flashing  forth  a  directing  ray,  so  that  wanderers  far  away  may  be 
directed  to  the  haven  of  peace.  But  mind,  it  must  be  God's  Church,  and  not 
man's.  —  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


THE    COLPORTAGE    ASSOCIATION. 


THE  object  of  this  association  is  the  increased  circulation  of 
religions  and  hcaltJiy  literature  among  all  classes,  in  order  to 
counteract  the  evil  of  the  vicious  publications  which  abound,  and 
which  lead  to  much  immorality,  crime,  and  neglect  of  religion. 

This  object  is  carried  out  in  a  twofold  manner: 

First,  by  means  of  Christian  colporteurs,  who  are  paid  a  fixed 
salary,  and  devote  all  their  time  to  the  work,  visiting  every  acces- 
sible house  with  Bibles  and  good  books  and  periodicals  for  sale, 
and  performing  other  missionary  services  such  as  visitation  of  the 
sick  and  dying,  and  conducting  meetings  and  open-air  services  as 
opportunities  occur.  This  is  the  most  important  method,  enabling 
the  colporteur  to  visit  every  part  of  the  district  regularly. 

Second,  by  means  of  book  agents,  who  canvass  for  orders  for 
periodicals  and  supply  them  month  by  month ;  these  receive  a 
liberal  percentage  on  the  sales  to  remunerate  them  for  their 
trouble. 

The  association  is  unsectariajt  in  its  operations,  "  doing  work 
for  the  friends  of  a  full  and  free  gospel  anywhere  and  every- 
where." 

FOURTEENTH   ANNUAL   REPORT. 

In  a  recent  sermon  on  "  Books,"  the  following  striking  passage 
appears :  "  The  printing-press  is  the  mightiest  agency  on  earth 
for  good  or  evil.  The  position  of  a  minister  of  religion  standing 
in  his  pulpit  is  a  responsible  position,  but  it  does  not  appear  so 
responsible  a  position  as  that  of  the  editor  and   the    publisher. 


2o8  LI^E    AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURLiEON. 

Men  die,  but  the  literary  influences  they  project  go  on  for  ever. 
I  believe  that  God  has  made  the  printing-press  to  be  a  great  agent 
in  the  world's  correction  and  evangelization,  and  that  the  great 
final  battle  of  the  world  will  be  fought,  not  with  guns  and  swords, 
but  with  types  and  presses,  a  gospellized  and  purified  literature 
triumphing  over  and  trampling  under  foot  and  crushing  out  a 
corrupt  literature.  God  speed  the  cylinders  of  an  honest,  intelli- 
gent, aggressive,  Christian  printing-press  !  " 

To  wage  this  warfare  against  pernicious  literature  is  the  work 
in  which  this  and  kindred  associations  engage.  The  printing- 
press  produces  the  peaceful  weapons  and  ammunition,  while  the 
colporteur  is  the  Christian  soldier  who  carries  them  into  the 
conflict.  He  fires  not  at  random,  but,  selecting  his  ground  and 
opportunity,  aims  at  the  enemy  now  a  Bible  or  Testament,  then  an 
attractively  illustrated  periodical  or  interesting  book,  or,  failing  to 
find  a  purchaser,  will  present  a  tract  with  a  word  in  season,  accom- 
panied by  silent  prayer.  The  accompanying  reports  speak  of 
many  peaceful  victories  thus  won.  The  circulation  of  hurtful 
periodicals  and  books  is  immense,  but  the  association  thankfully 
records  that  during  the  past  year  it  has  put  into  circulation  a  total 
of  396,291  books  and  periodicals  to  the  gross  value  of  $37,875, 
while  no  less  than  630,993  visits  to  families  have  been  made  by 
the  colporteurs,  who  have  also  conducted  6,745  religious  services, 
besides  frequently  praying  with  the  sick  and  dying. 

The  colporteurs  are  frequently  told  that  but  for  their  visits  a 
large  number  of  the  people  upon  whom  they  call  would  be 
entirely  neglected  by  any  of  the  ordinary  methods  or  agencies 
employed. 

Reports  from  Superintendents,  &-c.,  in  Districts. 

The  Rev.  D.  W.  Purdon  writes:  "The  colporteur  sticks  to  his 
work  like  a  limpet  to  the  rock.  Patiently,  perseveringly,  and  I 
believe  very  prayerfully,  he  goes  on,  increasingly  acceptable 
among  those  among  whom  he  labors,  and  in  every  way  satisfac- 
torily to  those  whose  eyes  are  interestedly  on  him  and  his  work. 

*'  I  see  that  during  the  past  eleven  months  he  has  sold  Bibles, 
94;  Testaments,   140;   books,  4,947:   magazines,  2.721;   packets, 


THE   COLPORTAGE    ASSOCIAllON, 


209 


cards,  &c.,  320:  total,  8,222.  And  he  has  visited  •j'jt^  families, 
held  78  services,  and  distributed  4,620  tracts. 

"  Now,  considering  the  character  of  his  sphere,  and  the  times 
we  have  been  passing  through,  I  consider  this  a  good  eleven 
months'  work,  which  speaks  for  itself.     I  cannot  say  more." 

R.  VV.  S.  Griffith,  who  has  had  some  years'  practical  experience 
of  the  working  of  colportage,  writes :  "  I  can  only  say  that 
we  have  a  very  active  and  earnest  colporteur;  he  works  hard 
and  finds  a  great  pleasure  in  his  work,  carrying  a  smiling  face 
to  all  houses  he  visits,  and  finding  almost  without  exception 
a  cordial  welcome  everywhere.  He  has  a  very  simple  but 
impressive  manner  of  stating  gospel  truths,  and  his  visits  are, 
I  am  sure,  calculated  to  awaken  a  desire  for  holy  things  in 
many  hearts ;  it  has  been  so  in  several  cases  that  I  have  heard 
of,  leading,  through  divine  grace,  to  a  decided  conversion.  He 
is  doing  a  good  work,  and  we  all  like  him. 

"  I  am  more  than  ever  convinced  of  the  immense  practical 
usefulness  of  the  colportage  work,  and  if  I  could  advise  any  one 
looking  out  for  some  branch  of  work  for  the  Lord  which  he  would 
aid,  I  would  unhesitatingly  say :  '  Choose  a  district  as  yet  unoccu- 
pied, and  send  your  subscription  to  the  association,  so  that  a 
colporteur  might  be  sent  to  work  there.'  Mr.  Bellamy,  the  col- 
porteur, visits  seven  or  eight  hundred  families  every  month, 
and  takes  two  or  three  cottage  services  every  week,  and  while  I 
am  writing  he  has  gone  in  his  donkey  cart  about  seven  miles  to 
take  a  service  this  evening;  he  will  hardly  get  back  till  ten  or 
eleven  o'clock.  Hoping  this  year  may  prove,  by  God's  blessing, 
a  very  encouraging  one  to  all  your  men." 

J.  S.  Hanson  writes :  "  I  hope  the  association  is  going  on 
prosperously;  if  all  were  as  satisfied  about  the  usefulness  of  the 
work  as  we  are,  they  would  soon  find  the  means  to  increase  the 
number,  till  the  land  was  filled  with  colporteurs." 

A  colporteur  writes:  "In  the  chapel  the  Word  preached  was 
much  blessed.  The  first  summer  I  was  here,  the  place  was 
crowded ;  soon,  however,  the  screw  was  put  on,  and  the  second 
summer  the  attendance  fell  off  wonderfully.  This  past  summer 
there  was   a  fair   attendance,   and   lately   it   has   been   better,    the 


3IO  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF    C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

average  being  twenty-four  or  twenty-six,  sometimes  over  thirty 
adults  in  the  evening,  but  the  afternoon  service  is  poorly  attended, 
llie  seals  to  my  ministry  are  some  who  have  been  born  again,  some 
quickened  in  the  divine  life,  and  others  awakened  to  a  sense  of  their 
need  of  a  Saviour.  And  now  for  those  upon  whom  the  screw  was 
put :  these  I  visit  in  their  own  homes  in  my  rounds ;  here  is  where 
the  work  of  a  colporteur  lies,  according  to  my  idea,  for  with  my 
pack  on  my  back,  or  in  my  hand,  I  have  an  excuse  (if  one  is 
needed  in  the  nineteenth  century)  to  call  at  all  the  houses  in  the 
villages;  and  here,  I  may  say,  eternity  alone  can  reveal  the  good 
done  by  the  tract  given,  read,  and  blessed  !  God  only  knows  of 
the  Scriptures  read  to  the  sick,  of  prayers  offered  at  the  bedside 
of  the  afflicted  and  those  appointed  to  death,  of  the  Word  spoken 
to  the  relations  or  attendants,  of  words  of  cheer  and  comfort 
spoken  to  the  brethren  and  sisters  in  Christ  who  are  cast  down, 
phases  of  whose  life  none  but  the  colporteur  can  see !  If  you 
ask  me,  Have  you  been  blessed  in  this  work?  Have  the  re- 
sults justified  the  outlay?  I  say  Yes,  yes,  yes!  But  there  is 
what  is  called  the  untabulated  results,  opposite  which  we  will 
put  the  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  and  the  heavenly 
reward." 

Another  testimony :  "Sunday  newspapers  have  been  given  up 
in  some  cases,  and  publications  such  as  '  Sunday  at  Home,' 
'  Weekly  Welcome,'  and  the  *  Boys'  Own  Paper '  purchased  in- 
stead. With  respect  to  the  sale  of  Bibles,  it  may  be  mentioned 
as  an  interesting  fact  that  since  his  residence  in  this  district  the 
colporteur  has  supplied  one  hundred  and  fifty  volumes  of  'Cas- 
sell's  Family  Bible.'  He  has  conducted  139  services  on  the  Lord's 
day,  and  he  himself  says  that  he  has  never  seen  so  much  good 
resulting  from  his  work  as  he  has  seen  this  year;  it  has  been  the 
year  of  his  greatest  encouragement." 

Another  colporteur  says :  "  My  sales  in  Bibles  and  Testaments 
for  the  last  quarter  exceed  the  sales  at  the  two  depots  of  the 
Bible  Society  here  for  the  whole  of  the  last  year.  I  think  this 
comparison  shows  conclusively  that  the  right  way  to  sell  the  books 
is  to  take  them  to  the  homes  of  the  people. 

"  During  the  past  twelve  months  I   have  sold  239  Bibles  and 


THE    COLPORTAGE    ASSOCIATION.  211 

1,229  Testaments.  Thank  God  for  past  success,  but  I  shall  not  be 
satisfied  until  I  can  see  a  portion  of  the  Word  of  God  in  every 
house  in  my  district. 

"  I  have  found  out  three  houses  entirely  without  the  Word  of 
God,  but  I  did  not  let  them  remain  so.  One  of  the  women  said 
she  could  not  afford  the  money  for  a  Testament;  but  after  I 
talked  to  her  the  little  daughter  said :  '  Mother,  I  shall  open  my 
little  bank  and  pay  for  it,'  so  she  took  it  when  the  little  child  paid 
for  it.  She  had  been  married  seven  years,  and  never  had  God's 
Word  in  her  possession  all  that  time." 

Prevalence  of  Evil  Literature  and  its  Cure.  —  "  Was  told  of  a 
young  female  (a  governess)  who  sat  in  bed  reading  by  candle- 
light some  of  the  most  filthy,  low,  vulgar,  pernicious  papers,  so 
bad,  indeed,  that  the  woman  was  ashamed  to  tell  me  what  they 
were  ;   succeeded  in  supplying  her  with  a  good  magazine. 

"  My  work  is  still  progressing  favorably.  Several  boys  at  a 
boarding-school,  who  used  to  read  bad  papers,  now  take  '  Young 
England '  and  '  Excelsior '  from  me.  The  teacher  told  me  that 
she  was  very  glad  these  papers  had  come  out,  as  her  boys  used 
to  be  so  fond  of  bad  ones  before. 

"  In  one  village  which  I  visit  there  are  several  infidel  books,  and 
several  persons  have  turned  infidels  through  reading  them.  One 
is  a  very  intelligent,  quiet  young  man,  and  two  were  Methodist 
local  preachers.  Packets  of  infidel  tracts  are  being  sent  into  the 
villages ;  this  makes  me  feel  more  than  ever  the  pressing  need  of 
colportage  to  counteract  this  evil  work. 

"  I  am  glad  to  report  that  through  a  customer  I  have  succeeded 
in  getting  a  young  woman  to  take  the  '  Girl's  Own  Paper,'  instead 
of  a  trashy  paper.  She  was  so  delighted  with  it  that  she  lent  it 
to  another  young  woman,  and  I  expect  more  orders." 

Conversions  through  Books.  —  The  number  of  conversions  re- 
ported by  the  colporteurs  through  the  books  sold  is  too  large  to 
print  the  cases  in  detail ;  the  following,  however,  are  a  fair  sample 
of  others :  — 

"Saving  Faith."  — "Two  persons  have  been  led  to  the  Sav- 
iour through  reading  this  book,  —  a  mother  and  daughter.  I  sold 
the  book  to  a  Christian  woman,  she  read  it,  and  lent  it  to  one 


212  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF  C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

of  her  neighbors  who  was  ill.  Through  reading  it  she  was  led  to 
trust  in  Jesus  as  her  Saviour,  as  was  her  daughter,  who  had  left 
service  to  nurse  her  mother.  The  book  was  then  sent  on  to 
another  daughter,  hoping  that  by  its  perusal  she  may  share  the 
same  blessing.  The  same  colporteur  speaks  of  a  third  case  of 
conversion  from  reading  the  same  book." 

"The  Home  Beyond."  —  "A  farmer  to  whom  I  had  previously 
sold  '  The  Home  Beyond,'  when  I  called  again,  said :  '  What  a 
beautiful  book  that  "  Home  Beyond "  is !  I  read  it,  and  sent 
it  to  a  relation  of  mine,  who  was  very  ill,  fast  wasting  away  in 
consumption,  and  without  having  a  hope  in  Christ.  She  read 
the  book  I  had  sent,  and  it  was  the  means  of  leading  her  to  the 
Saviour  of  the  lost,  and  by  being  able  to  die  a  peaceful  and  happy 
death  she  testified  that  she  had  truly  embraced  the  Saviour.'  " 

Gratuitous  Tract  Distribution  and  its  Results.  —  Many  thousands 
of  evangelical  tracts  are  given  away  by  the  association,  and  most 
of  the  colporteurs  report  that  people  receive  them  readily,  and 
that  numerous  cases  of  conversion  have  resulted  from  their  distri- 
bution.    Two  cases  are  appended :  — 

"  I  was  showing  my  books  to  a  gentleman  one  day ;  he  had  a 
little  tract  in  his  hand  entitled  '  Taken  by  Surprise.'  I  offered  this 
to  a  lady  who  was  passing  by,  and  she  accepted  it.  Bless  the 
Lord !  it  was  the  means  of  awakening  her  to  a  sense  of  danger, 
insomuch  that  she  could  not  find  rest  until  she  found  it  in  Jesus. 
She  is  now  believing  and  rejoicing  in  His  great  salvation." 

The  Pipe  Light.  —  "  Some  time  ago  I  held  an  open-air  meeting 
at  one  of  our  villages  during  the  dinner  hour  of  the  workmen,  as 
I  was  not  permitted  to  enter  the  mill.  After  speaking  some  time, 
I  sold  several  small  books,  and  gave  away  about  two  hundred 
tracts.  One  of  the  men  screwed  the  tract  up  and  threw  it  away, 
but  picked  it  up  again  and  put  it  into  his  pocket,  thinking  it  might 
come  in  to  light  his  pipe.  At  tea-time,  however,  having  nothing 
else  to  read,  he  resorted  to  the  despised  tract.  It  was  headed, 
*  Stop  the  Clock.'  Before  he  had  finished  reading  it,  he  trembled 
from  head  to  foot,  and  pleaded  with  God  for  the  forgiveness  of 
his  sins ;  from  that  moment,  he  tells  me,  he  has  felt  a  changed 
man." 


THE   COLPORTAGE   ASSOCIATION.  213 

~  Mr.  Spurgeon's  Sermons.  —  As  usual,  many  of  the  colporteurs 
have  met  with  instances  of  the  great  usefulness  of  these  sermons, 
both  in  the  comfort  and  instruction  of  believers  and  in  the  salva- 
tion of  sinners.     A  few  reports  are  given :  — 

'•  About  twelve  months  ago  a  friend  of  mine  leaving  for 
America  took  a  good  supply  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons.  I  also 
kept  up  correspondence,  sending  other  sermons.  Having  now 
returned,  he  speaks  of  the  blessings  the  sermons  were  to  him  and 
others  while  there,  where  the  preaching  is  quite  perfection  in  the 
flesh.  One  of  these  sermons  sent  was  the  means  of  the  conver- 
sion of  one  woman,  and  of  stirring  up  others  to  find  perfection 
only  in  Christ  Jesus." 

"  In  soliciting  orders,  one  woman  asked  me  if  I  carried  any  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  works,  and  when  told  that  I  did,  seemed  pleased, 
bought  several  of  his  writings,  telling  me  that  although  she  had 
been  a  member  of  a  Christian  church  for  years,  she  never  saw  the 
gospel  in  its  true  light  until  she  read  one  of  Mr,  Spurgeon's  ser- 
mons. It  was  not  until  then  that  she  saw  Jesus  to  be  her  only 
Saviour,  and  could  rejoice  in  Him  as  such." 

Speaking  of  a  young  woman  who  had  been  in  much  darkness 
and  perplexity  about  spiritual  things,  and  seemed  to  despair  of 
mercy,  a  colporteur  writes:  "But  when  I  was  there  in  January  I 
sold  her  Mr.  Spurgeon's  '  Loving  Advice  for  Anxious  Seekers '  ; 
when  I  called  next  month  I  could  see  by  her  countenance  that 
there  was  a  change  for  the  better.  She  then  told  me  that  God  in 
His  mercy  had  blessed  that  sermon  to  her ;  that  it  seemed  as 
though  Mr.  Spurgeon  must  have  known  of  one  exactly  like  her, 
for  every  word  suited  her  case." 

Prayer  under  the  Hedge.  —  "  The  old  man  was  standing  in  the 
sunny  side  of  the  hedge  on  the  roadside.  I  went  to  him  ;  and  on 
offering  a  tract  he  said :  '  I  cannot  read ;  '  I  then  spoke  to  him 
of  sin  and  death,  of  salvation  and  the  Lord  Jesus.  I  appealed 
to  him  as  to  a  dying  man,  beseeching  him  to  prepare  to  meet  the 
good  God  whom  he  had  been  living  without  these  upwards  of 
eighty  years ;  he  trembled  as  one  shivering  on  the  brink  of  eter- 
nity and  fearing  to  launch  away,  which,  according  to  the  nature 
of  things,  I  assured  him  he  must  soon  expect  to  do.     Down  aside 

17 


214  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

the  hedge  we  both  got  on  our  knees,  and  with  hberty  of  soul  ear- 
nestly besought  that  the  converting  grace  and  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  may  be  poured  upon  him  that  he  may  be  enlightened  and 
saved.  Knowing  now  where  he  lives,  I  shall  hope,  if  God  spares 
him  and  me,  ere  long  to  see  him  again  and  to  see  him  saved  of 
the  Lord." 

Preaclmig  the  Gospel  from  House  to  House.  —  "I  have  much 
encouragement  in  the  Colportage  work.  I  find  some  of  the  peo- 
ple very  willing  to  hear  the  Word  of  God.  Some  days  I  have  had 
what  I  should  term  a  cottage  meeting.  Where  I  have  found  four 
and  five  people  in  one  house  I  have  read,  prayed,  and  sung  for 
about  a  half-hour.  Passing  on  to  another  house,  where  I  have 
found  another  group,  I  spent  another  half-hour.  I  have  had  five, 
some  days  six,  little  meetings  with  the  people ;  at  such  times  the 
Master  has  been  with  us,  and  much  good  has  been  done." 

Addressing  the  Colliers,  October  2d.  —  "  Gave  a  short  address 
to  a  company  of  colliers ;  was  received  with  welcome  and  delight. 
Spoke  to  them  about  the  leper  going  to  Jesus.  Told  them  that 
we  had  hearts  diseased  by  sin  and  wicked  works,  and  they  needed 
cleansing.  That  we  could  not  do  anything  to  merit  our  salva- 
tion, but  we  could  plead  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ;  and  that  He 
was  as  willing  to  cleanse  them  as  when  He  cleansed  the  leper,  if 
they  opened  their  hearts  to  receive  Him.  They  expressed  grat- 
itude for  speaking  to  them,  and  thanked  me  very  much ;  said  I 
had  done  them  good.  Since  then  two  of  them  have  joined  the 
Salvation  Army.  I  believe  I  have  been  instrumental  in  God's 
hands  of  their  salvation ;  they  thanked  me  for  going." 

The  Colporteur's  Sabbath.  —  "  Visited  about  fifty  homes  with 
tracts,  and  spoke  a  few  words  where  I  could.  Sunday-school, 
2.30;  gave  an  address  to  teachers  and  scholars.  Preached  at  a 
lodging  house  at  5.30,  and  at  Gospel  Hall  6.30,  and  again  in  the 
Market  at  8.35  ;   then  visited  some  sick  people. 

"  On  Sundays  I  always  endeavor  to  get  among  the  groups  of 
men  at  the  corners,  and  wait  on  them  at  closing  time,  coming  out 
of  the  public-houses,  to  present  them  with  a  tract,  and  persuade 
them  to  observe  the  Sabbath;  not  only  have  T  been  successful 
with  individuals,  but  in  two  cases  of  which  I  have  heard   whole 


Colporteur  and  Bible  Carriage. 


THE    COLPORTAGE   ASSOCIATIOX.  215 

families  have  been  induced  to  attend  regularly  the  means  of  grace 
on  the  Sabbath  day.     To  God  be  the  glory." 

Preaching  Services  by  the  Colporteurs.  —  According  to  their  abil- 
ity and  opportunity  many  of  the  colporteurs  are  regularly  engaged 
preaching  the  gospel  both  in  the  open  air  and  as  "  supplies  "  for 
various  denominations.  Much  blessing  rests  upon  this,  which  may 
be  called  the  extra  work  of  a  colporteur.  A  few  reports  are  given 
of  this  department  of  service  :  — 

Conversion  Work.  — "  The  preaching  of  the  Word  has  been 
much  blessed  this  last  few  months.  One  poor  woman  told  me  in 
a  meeting  that  the  Lord  had  made  her  so  unhappy  about  her  soul 
that  she  could  not  work.  She  then  went  down  on  her  knees  and 
prayed  as  best  she  could,  and  the  Lord  had  showed  her  the  differ- 
ence between  believing  about  Christ  and  believing  in  Christ,  which 
I  had  been  talking  about  the  last  Sunday.  She  said :  '  I  have 
been  trying  to  get  Christ  and  heaven  by  doings,  but  now  I  see  it 
is  a  done  work,  and  I  can  say  I  am  in  Christ  and  Christ  in  me.* 
Two  others  have  just  been  brought  to  know  the  Lord,  and  several 
drunkards  have  become  sober  men,  who  a  little  time  ago  would 
curse  the  name  of  such  a  man  as  myself. 

"  There  are  many  things  to  encourage  me.  My  speaking  at  the 
chapel  and  Sunday-school,  and  other  places,  is  very  acceptable. 
The  congregations  have  increased,  and  a  greater  earnestness  is 
manifested  by  those  who  love  the  Lord,  and  it  has  been  our  joy 
to  hear  the  cry  of  the  penitent  sinner  for  mercy.  One  man,  in 
good  circumstances,  came  to  me  at  the  close  of  a  Sabbath  evening 
service  and  asked  to  be  remembered  in  prayer  I  visited  him  the 
next  day  and  talked  and  prayed  with  him,  and  I  believe  he  is  now 
a  saved  man.  He  is  very  regular  at  the  week-night  service,  and 
it  is  good  to  hear  him  pray.  We  have  three  stand  proposed  for 
membership,  and  another  was  crying  for  mercy  last  Thursday 
night  in  the  meeting,  and  I  believe  the  Spirit  of  God  is  working 
upon  the  hearts  of  several  others." 

Tlie  Colporteur  and  Temperance.  —  "I  am  pleased  to  inform  you 
that  the  book  '  John  Ploughman's  Pictures  '  has  been  the  means 
of  leading  one  man  to  give  up  the  drink,  and  since  that  has  joined 
the    Congregationalists,    and    he    wishes    me    to    tell    Mr.    Spur- 


2l6  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

geon  that  he  owes  his  conversion  to  God  through  reading  that 
book, 

"  On  entering  a  public-house  I  found  several  men  drinking.  I 
began  to  talk  to  them  of  the  necessity  of  being  decided  for  Christ. 
The  landlady  came  and  sat  down  with  the  men ;  I  then  tried  to 
show  them  what  the  Saviour  had  done  for  them  and  how  He  loved 
them.  The  landlady  wept  like  a  child.  It  seems  as  if  they  can  stand 
as  many  oaths  and  curses  as  can  be  put  upon  them,  but,  thank 
God !  they  cannot  stand  to  be  told  of  the  love  of  Jesus  without 
feeling  uncomfortable,  especially  the  baser  sort  of  people.  I  find 
that  the  name  of  Jesus  has  a  power  when  everything  else  has 
failed :   angels  and  men  before  Him  fall,  and  devils  fear  and  fly. 

"  Another  very  interesting  case  was  one  day  in  going  to  a  vil- 
lage. Just  as  I  got  to  the  village  there  came  a  dreadful  storm  of 
thunder  and  lightning  and  rain,  and  the  first  house  I  came  to  was 
a  public-house.  I  ran  into  this  house  for  shelter,  and  found  it  full 
of  men  drinking  and  gambling,  with  much  swearing.  I  had  not 
been  in  many  minutes  before  one  asked  me  what  I  had  to  sell;  I 
at  once  put  my  pack  on  the  table  and  showed  what  I  had.  They 
soon  gave  over  swearing,  and  I  spoke  to  them  and  tried  to  sell 
them  a  book  each.  I  sold  one  '  John  Ploughman's  Talk,'  and 
another  at  a  shilling,  and  a  few  little  books,  and  a  number  left  the 
house  before  I  did,  and  went  home  in  the  rain ;  when  the  rain  gave 
over  a  bit  I  started  for  home  without  calling  at  any  more  houses. 
I  came  home  with  a  light  heart,  though  wet  through  with  water." 

During  the  year  1880  there  were  seventy-nine  colporteurs  in  the 
field.  They  sold  105,114  books  and  272,698  magazines,  besides 
distributing  gratuitously  794,044  tracts,  and  making  630,993  vis- 
its. Who  can  tell  with  what  results?  Surely  here  is  work  enough 
for  one  man  to  superintend,  yet  it  is  only  a  branch  of  the  great 
tree  which  Pastor  Spurgeon  has  planted. 


XVIII. 

LETTERS. 


The  object  of  the  gospel  is  not  to  make  men  anxious,  but  to  calm  their 
anxieties  ;  not  to  fill  them  with  endless  controversy,  but  to  lead  them  into  all 
truth.  The  gospel  gives  rest  of  conscience  by  the  complete  forgiveness  of  sin 
through  the  atoning  blood  of  Christ  ;  rest  of  heart  by  supplying  an  object  for 
the  affections  worthy  of  their  love  ;  and  rest  of  intellect  by  teaching  it  cer- 
tainties which  can  be  accepted  without  question.  Our  message  does  not 
consist  of  things  guessed  a  by  wit,  nor  evolved  out  of  man's  inner  conscious- 
ness by  study,  nor  developed  by  argument  through  human  reason  ;  but  it  treats 
of  revealed  certainties,  absolutely  and  infallibly  true,  upon  which  the  under- 
standing may  rest  itself  as  thoroughly  as  a  building  rests  upon  a  foundation  of 
rock.  —  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


LETTERS. 


MR.  SPURGEON'S  correspondence  is  simply  voluminous. 
We  were  present  on  one  occasion  when  his  mail-bag 
arrived,  and  soon  hundreds  of  letters  lay  piled  on  his  table. 
Naturally,  while  human  nature  is  what  it  is,  he  is  questioned  on 
every  subject  in  heaven,  and  earth,  and  under  the  earth.  Thou- 
sands of  letters  in  the  year  must  reach  the  waste-basket,  but  no 
letter  of  importance  escapes  his  notice,  and  he  is  occupied  for 
hours  each  Saturday  answering  correspondents.  Many  letters 
reach  him,  extracts  of  which  find  their  way  to  the  pages  of  his 
magazine.  The  preacher  who  receives  them  must  feel  deeply 
thankful  that  he  is  so  highly  honored  of  God  in  the  ministry  of 
the  gospel.  Many  of  them  possess  peculiar  interest,  and  to 
gratify  our  readers  we  subjoin  specimen  copies.  Their  publication 
is  not  designed  to  glorify  the  preacher,  but  to  magnify  the  grace 
of  God  in  him  and  benefit  each  reader  by  their  perusal. 

A  friend  in  Sydney  writes  as  follows :  — 

"  Dear  Mr.  Spurgeon,  —  It  seems  natural  when  help  is  given 
to  acknowledge  it,  and  I  hope,  therefore,  you  will  not  think  that  I 
am  taking  a  liberty  in  writing  to  thank  you  for  the  great  assistance 
you  have  been  to  me  personally  through  the  medium  of  two  of 
your  published  sermons. 

'*  The  two  sermons  I  refer  to  were  entitled  '  Prayer  Perfumed 
with  Praise'  (No.  1469),  and  'Mistrust  of  God  Deplored  and 
Denounced'  (No.  1498).  By  reading  these  I  have  been  led  to 
exercise  faith  in  a  way  never  thought  of  before,  and  as  a  result 
have  experienced  a  confidence  sufficient  to  secure  a  long-desired 


230  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.   H.   SPURGEOM. 

blessing  of  a  very  practical  kind ;  and  though  the  responsibihty 
attaching  to  such  new  circumstances  is  great,  the  assurance  given 
that  I  shall  be  upheld  according  to  His  Word,  and  not  be  ashamed 
of  my  hope,  is  far  greater. 

"Allow  me  then,  to  thank  you  on  my  own  behalf,  and  also  on 
the  part  of  another,  for  the  blessing  your  sermons  have  been. 

From  Victoria :  — 

"  My  dear  Sir,  —  I  have  often  felt  inclined  to  write  you  these 
last  twelve  years.  At  that  time  I  lost  a  darling  boy;  everything 
seemed  dark,  and  nothing  brought  me  any  comfort.  The  Word 
of  God,  that  had  been  my  stay  through  many  similar  trials,  was 
all  darkness  to  me.  A  friend  brought  me  one  of  your  sermons, 
and  asked  me  to  allow  her  to  read  it.  At  first  I  refused,  but  at 
last  consented.  I  forget  the  title,  but  it  was  that  everything  was 
ordered  by  God  —  no  chance.  I  felt  all  the  time  my  friend  was 
reading  afraid  to  breathe.  I  could  only  say,  '  Go  on,  go  on.' 
When  she  had  finished  it  I  leaped  from  my  couch  and  said,  '  All 
is  right,  thank  God,  my  dark  mind  is  all  light  again.'  I  have  had 
similar  trials  since,  and  many  other  trials,  but  I  could  say  from 
my  heart,  *  Thy  will  be  done,  it  is  all  right'  At  this  time  my 
husband  ordered  your  sermons  monthly,  and  we  still  continue  to 
do  so.  Every  Sunday  evening  we  read  one  of  them  aloud  for  all 
to  hear,  and  afterwards  I  send  them  into  '  the  bush.'  My  dear  sir, 
go  on  and  preach  what  you  feel.  It  has  often  been  a  great  com- 
fort to  us  that  you  seemed  to  feel  just  as  we  felt." 

"  The  son  of  red  Kaffirs  or  raw  Kaffirs  "  sends  the  following  note 
from  Port  Elizabeth,  South  Africa :  — 

"  Dear  Sir,  —  I  don't  know  how  to  describe  my  joy  and  my 
feelings  in  this  present  moment.  We  never  did  see  each  other 
face  to  face,  but  still  there  is  something  between  you  and  me 
which  guided  me  to  make  these  few  lines  for  you.  One  day  as  I 
was  going  to  my  daily  work  I  met  a  friend  of  mine  in  the  street. 
We  spoke  about  the  Word  of  God,  and  he  asked  me  whether  I  had 
ever  seen  one  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  books.  I  said,  '  What  Mr. 
Spurgeon  is  that?  One  of  the  Independent  ministers  in  London?' 
and  I  said,  '  No,  I  never  saw  such  a  book  in  my  life.'  He  said  he 
bought  i1   'rom  the  bookseller.     I  asked  the  name  of  the  book, 


LETTERS.  221 

and  he  said  it  was  the  '  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  Pulpit,'  and  I 
went  straight  to  the  shop  and  bought  one.  I  have  read  a  good 
bit  of  it.  On  my  reading  it  I  arrived  on  a  place  where  Job  said : 
'Though  He  slay  mc,  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him.'  I  am  sure  I  can't 
tell  how  to  describe  the  goodness  you  have  done  to  us,  we  black 
people  of  South  Africa.  We  are  not  black  only  outside,  even 
inside;  I  wouldn't  mind  to  be  a  black  man  only  in  color.  It  is  a 
terrible  thing  to  be  a  black  man  from  the  soul  to  the  skin;  but 
still  I  am  very  glad  to  say  your  sermons  have  done  something 
good  to  me.  May  the  Lord  bless  your  efforts  and  prosper  your 
work !  May  it  please  Him  to  gain  many  sons  into  His  glory 
through  you  as  His  instrument,  not  only  in  London,  but  also  in 
Africa !  " 

From  Denmark :  "  Through  twelve  of  your  sermons,  which  are 
translated  into  Danish,  I  and  my  household  have  this  winter  been 
acquainted  with  your  Christian  announcement,  and  we  thank  you 
for  every  clearing  and  edifying  word.  We  seceded  from  the  Estab- 
lished Church  a  year  ago,  because  we  have  so  evidently  seen  the 
tragical  consequences  of  the  connection  between  the  Church  and 
the  State,  and  we  could  not  possibly  act  contrary  to  the  convic- 
tion forced  upon  us  by  the  reading  of  the  New  Testament,  viz., 
the  incorrectness  of  the  infant  baptism." 

Two  missionaries  in  one  of  the  isles  of  Greece  write :  "  We 
read  every  Sunday  a  sermon ;  many  times  it  is  one  of  your 
sermons.  Last  Sunday  the  one  we  read  was  '  The  Good  Sama- 
ritan'  (No.  1360).  It  made  a  deep  impression  on  our  minds. 
Your  sermons  are  to  us  like  rain  upon  a  dry  land.  We  have  no 
church  to  attend,  and  no  friends  to  associate  with." 

A  Baptist  minister  in  North  America  writes :  "  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
A^ritings  have  done  more  for  me  than  the  writings  of  any  other 
uninspired  man.  Indeed,  his  influence  is  felt  the  wide  world  over. 
In  the  backwoods  of  this  island  a  dying  man  the  other  week  con- 
fessed that  his  soul  had  been  impressed  and  enlightened  by  a 
sermon  published  in  the  '  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  Pulpit;  '  while 
Baptists  out  here  speak  of  '  praying  for  Mr.  Spurgeon  '  as  a  special 
duty.  I  have  also  discovered  that  preachers  of  other  denomina- 
tions are   using  these  sermons,   from   introduction  to  conclusion, 


22Z  LIFE  AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

and  after  the  service  it  is  somewhat  amusing  to  find  the  volume 
under  the  seat  of  the  sleigh." 

The  following  touching  epistle  comes  from  Florida:  — 

"  My  dear  Brother  in  Christ,  —  Once  upon  a  time  a 
wealthy  man,  who  owned  many  gardens,  sent  one  of  his  gardeners 
to  water  the  plants.  The  gardener  went  and  adjusted  the  hose, 
turned  the  tap,  and  watered  them  far  and  near.  Many  of  them 
were  near  him,  but  far  away  in  a  corner  of  the  garden,  farthest 
from  the  gardener,  was  a  frail  flower  that  had  long  been  pining 
for  the  refreshing  showers.  The  gardener,  not  knowing  its  need, 
nevertheless  turned  the  hose  in  that  direction,  and  the  drooping 
plant  revived  and  bloomed  afresh,  to  delight  all  who  chanced  to 
come  near  it,  and  it  loved  the  master  and  tJie  instrument,  though 
the  latter  was  unknown. 

"  Several  weeks  ago  I  lay  ill,  far  away  from  London,  in  the  wilds 
of  Florida.  Weak  and  faint-hearted,  I  lay  pondering  on  the  strange 
providence  of  the  Master,  when  one  of  your  sermons  was  placed 
in  my  hands.  The  refreshing  shower  revived  me  and  gave  me 
fresh  hope  and  courage,  and  I  rose  from  my  sick  couch  to  strive 
still  more  earnestly  to  gain  access  to  the  hearts  of  those  by  whom 
I  am  surrounded,  and  to-day,  in  a  small  class  that  I  have  formed 
out  here  in  the  wilderness,  the  Lord  made  His  presence  felt,  and 
blessed  us  with  an  awakening  that  I  have  never  seen  here  before, 
and  tears  of  repentance  were  shed  by  many.  I  was  so  full  of 
joy  and  gratitude  to  God  that  I  felt,  indeed  I  longed,  to  let  you 
know  that  your  influence  as  an  instrument  had  even  reached  this 
place." 

From  Michigan :  "  I  have  read  your  sermons  many  years, 
they  are  marrow  and  fatness  to  my  soul.  Toil  on,  O  servant  of 
Jesus !  You  gave  me  a  pretty  good  lesson  in  your  sermon  entitled 
'The  Dromedaries'  (No.  1504).  I  enclose  you  twenty-five  dollars 
to  buy  '  straw'  for  your  dromedaries  ;  I  leave  the  word  '  barley '  for 
such  persons  as  the  lady  who  gave  iJ"20,ooo.  I  have  just  been 
reading 'John  Ploughman's  Talk.'  I  think  you  are  pretty  tough 
on  us  slow  folks;  but  if  we  all  could  keep  up  with  you,  don't  you 
think  the  world  would  run  off  her  track  in  less  than  twenty-four 
hours?" 


LETTERS.  223 

From  Quebec :  — 

"  My  dear  Sir,  —  Since  reading  a  sermon  delivered  by  you  a 
long  time  ago  on  the  text,  '  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  Shalt  be  saved'  (No.  293),  and  in  which  you  set  forth  the 
great  sin  of  unbelief,  I  have  felt  a  strong  desire  to  write  to  you  and 
strengthen  your  hands  by  letting  you  know  that  your  labor  is  not 
in  vain,  as  I,  for  one,  can  testify  to  the  great  good  derived  from 
that  and  other  sermons  of  yours.  My  father,  before  we  left  Scot- 
land, seven  years  ago,  always  got  your  sermons,  as  well  as  your 
'  Sword  and  Trowel,'  and  having  derived  great  benefit  from  them, 
he  carefully  put  them  away.  About  a  year  ago  my  brother  sent 
me  a  few  of  those  old  sermons,  which  I  read,  and,  glory  be  to  God  ! 
opened  my  eyes  while  reading  that  sermon,  and  since  then  I  have 
found  peace  in  believing." 

One  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  elders  sent  him  the  following  letter:  — 
"My  dear  Sir,  — At  a  meeting  last  night  I  heard  the  following 
statement,  which  I  think  you  will  be  pleased  with  :     A  member  of 
one  of  our  London  churches  said  that,  being  an  engineer,  he  had 
to  reside  for  some  little  time  in  a  foreign  town,  the  name  of  which 
I  did  not  catch,  where  he  was  entirely  surrounded  by  Portuguese. 
He  said  it  was  very  sweet  to  meet  an  Englishman  anywhere  under 
such  circumstances  to  converse  in  his  native  tongue.     He  heard 
that  there  was  an  Englishman  confined  for  life  in  the  prison,  and 
he  determined  to  call  on  him    and  speak  to  him  respecting  the 
love  of  God  to  sinners.     He  got  permission  to  see  him,  and  having 
entered  the  prison,  commenced  at  once  speaking  to  him  through 
the  iron  grating.    The  poor  convict  then  told  him  that,  a  few  ye^rs 
before  that,  a  young  Enghshman   called   upon   him   in  a  similar 
manner  and   left  behind   some   English   novels,  but  between  the 
leaves  of  one  of  the  novels  there  was  a  sermon  which  had  been 
preached  in  Exeter  Hall,  in   1856,  by  C.  H.  Spurgeon.     The  con- 
vict read  it.     It  was  upon  '  Salvation  to  the  Uttermost'  (No.  84), 
and  it  referred  to  the  murderer  Palmer,  then  under  sentence  of 
death.      The  words  entered   into  his  heart,   and  he  immediately 
knelt  down  in  his  cell  and  cried  for  pardon,  and  he  received   a 
sense  of  forgiveness  on  the  spot,  and  he  was  still  rejoicing  in  the 
assurance  that  God  for  Christ's  sake  had  forgiven  him.     He  told 


224 


LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 


Mr.  B.  that  he  had  no  hope  of  Hberty  in  this  Hfe,  but  he  was 
nevertheless  rejoicing  in  the  glorious  hope  set  before  him  in  the 
gospel." 

The  following  letter  refers  to  the  fifteen-hundredth  published 
sermon,  "Number  1500;  or,  Lifting  up  the  Brazen  Serpent," 
preached  in  October,  1881  :  — 

"Dear  Sir,  —  Yesterday  morning  my  brother  passed  from  us 
at  daybreak.  Though  unknown  to  you,  I  think  you  will  like  to 
hear  something  he  said.  On  Tuesday  evening  I  asked  him, 
'What  can  I  do  to  be  as  happy  as  you?'  He  answered  with  diffi- 
culty, '  It 's  all  in  "  Instant  Salvation  "  and  Number  1500.'  Many 
times  he  has  talked  of  Number  1500,  and  has  directed  me  to  send 
one  to  his  brother.  A  member  of  your  congregation  sent  me 
Number  1500  in  a  letter  to  him,  a  sort  of  sly  way,  perhaps,  of 
giving  it  to  him.  A  passer-by  on  St.  Leonard's  Parade  gave  him 
'  Instant  Salvation.'  Sir,  my  brother's  words  were,  '  Only  Jesus, 
nothing  but  Jesus ;  Jesus !  Jesus ! '  and  he  passed  away  without 
suffering,  perfectly  easy,  pleasant,  contented,  joyous,  and  trium- 
phant, and  fully  conscious  up  to  five  minutes  from  his  death,  so 
gently  that  I,  a  medical  man,  cannot  say  when  he  died  —  not  the 
slightest  struggle,  only  a  gradually  increasing  stillness.  Sir,  if  this 
letter  be  like  a  '  well  done '  from  the  Lord  through  the  voice  of  my 
brother  to  you,  I  am  glad,  as  it  will  give  you  pleasure.  Don't 
trouble  to  answer,  I  am  not  a  Baptist,  but  a  Church  of  England 
man." 

The  following  cheering  note  comes  from  the  United  States :  "  It 
will  refresh  your  heart  to  learn  that  a  beloved  pastor  in  this  coun- 
try (whose  teaching  and  preaching  are  a  striking  contrast  to  the 
vapid  utterances  of  the  humanitarians  and  sentimentalists  who 
abound  in  all  our  cities)  received  through  your  ministry  some 
years  ago  a  very  great  blessing.  He  visited  England,  and  planned 
to  hear  all  the  men  of  note  in  London.  On  his  arrival  he  hap- 
pened to  learn  that  you  were  to  speak  one  afternoon  in  the 
neighborhood  of  his  hotel.  That  sermon  did  him  so  much  good 
that  he  followed  you  around,  and  during  his  six  weeks  in  London 
heard  no  other  preacher.  Your  vindication  of  God's  grace  and 
advocacy  of  His  sovereignty  in  salvation,  and  your  clear  presenta- 


LETTERS. 


225 


tion  of  faith  and  assurance  so  filled  him  and  confirmed  his  own 
views  of  divine  truth,  that  he  returned  to  his  own  country  stron2^ 
in  the  Lord  and  in  the  power  of  His  might.  He  often  speaks  cf 
that  visit,  and  T  have  heard  him  frequently  thank  God  for  your 
ministry.  He  is  truly  a  witness  to  the  sufficiency  of  the  Atone- 
ment, and  a  noble  opposer  of  that  science,  falsely  so  called,  which 
belittles  the  word  of  revelation." 

A  minister  in  St.  Petersburg,  Russia,  sends  the  following:  "By 
your  sermons,  etc.,  you  are  having  a  part  in  the  great  work  of 
spreading  Christ's  kingdom  both  in  St.  Petersburg  and  in  the 
interior.  You  are  well  known  among  the  priests,  who  seem  glad 
to  get  hold  of  your  translated  sermons,  and,  strange  to  say,  I 
know  cases  in  which  the  censor  has  readily  given  consent  for  your 
works  to  be  translated  when  he  has  been  reluctant  respecting 
many." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  adds :  "  Another  friend  in  the  same  city,  who 
distributes  our  sermons,  says  that  he  gave  one  recently  to  an  old 
Russian  pope,  or  priest,  who  called  upon  him  one  Sunday  while 
engaged  at  family  prayer,  and  tried  to  sell  him  some  pork.  He 
says  that  he  will  get  all  the  other  sermons  that  are  translated,  and 
give  them  to  as  many  popes  as  he  can  find  access  to." 

A  Christian  sister  in  India  writes :  "  I  enclose  you  a  note  which 
I  received  from  a  Mussulman  to  whom  I  had  lent  a  book  of  your 
sermons,  and  I  request  your  prayers  on  his  behalf,  that  he  may 
have  grace  given  him  to  profess  Christ  openly,  and  to  come  out 

from  Mahometanism."     Here  is  the  note:    "My  dear  Miss . 

Your  sermon-book  has,  indeed,  converted  me  to  Christianity.  I 
do  believe  in  Christ  our  Lord,  and  so  long  as  my  belief  in  Him  is 
firmly  rooted,  I  do  not  care  what  I  may  be  called  in  the  outer 
world.     Mr.  Spurgeon  appears  to  be  an  extraordinary  man." 

From  Germany  comes  the  following  unsolicited  testimony  to 
the  value  of  "  The  Treasury  of  David  :  "  "I  mailed  one  volume 
of  '  The  Treasury '  to  Dr.  Zoekler,  and  requested  him  to  give  me 
his  opinion  of  it.  Dr.  Zoekler  is  considered  (even  among  German 
pastors)  a  great  bookworm,  and  I  was  a  little  curious  to  see  what 
he  would  say.  He  declared  the  Commentary  to  be  'a  museum  of 
spiritual  treasures,'  and  thought  the  publication  of  it  would  be  to 

23 


226  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.   H.   SPURGEON. 

most  German  theologians  like  the  discovery  of  ancient  Troy  by 
Schliemann.  My  Lutheran  neighbors  beg  me  to  have  the  work 
done,  if  not  for  money,  still  for  the  good  it  would  do,  and  they 
beg  for  the  whole  work.  .  .  .  There  is  nothing  which  might 
benefit  Germany  more  than  the  publication  of  this  work." 

Pastor  Spurgeon  adds:  "A  friend  informs  us  that  in  Toulon, 
the  great  seaport  and  naval  arsenal  in  the  southeast  of  France, 
Mhere  there  are  many  artisans  and  multitudes  of  sailors,  a  work 
similar  to  that  of  Mr.  McAIl  in  Paris  has  been  commenced  by  M. 
Massis,  a  Protestant  pastor,  assisted  by  his  wife  and  a  missionary. 
Several  rooms  have  been  opened  for  preaching,  and  converts 
gathered  for  worship  and  work.  Recently,  when  both  M.  Massis 
and  his  helper  were  compulsorily  absent  from  the  service,  one  of 
the  converts  undertook  to  lead  the  singing  and  prayer,  but,  being 
unable  to  preach,  he  read  the  French  translation  of  our  sermon, 
*  Remember  Lot's  Wife'  (No.  1491),  and  this  was  the  means  of 
the  conversion  of  a  whole  family." 

"Another  friend,  who  conducts  services  in  a  Hampshire  village 
where  a  new  chapel  is  being  built,  tells  us  that  every  Sunday 
evening  for  the  last  four  years  he  has  preached  there,  but  being 
engaged  in  business  all  the  week  he  cannot  give  much  time  to 
study.  He  says  that  he  has,  therefore,  taken  our  sermons  regu- 
larly, got  all  the  marrow  he  could  out  of  them,  copied  out  the 
leading  thoughts,  lived  in  the  subject  all  the  week,  and  then  given 
out  to  the  people  the  honey  he  has  gathered.  He  adds  that  God 
has  blessed  this  system  of  working  to  the  salvation  of  souls  and 
the  edification  of  believers,  and  that  this  way  of  proclaiming  the 
truth  has  also  interested  the  congregation." 

A  fisherman  in  Scotland  sends  the  following  pleasing  account  ot 
his  conversion :  "  I  remember  a  colporteur  coming  to  my  mother's 
house,  and  he  asked  me  if  I  would  buy  a  book.  *  Yes,'  says  I,  '  if 
you  have  got  any  ballads,'  that  is,  Scotch  songs.  So  he  says  to 
me:  'If  you  give  me  a  piece  of  fish  I  will  give  you  something 
that  will  do  you  more  good  than  ballads.'  I  saw  he  desired 
my  good,  so  I  gave  him  half  a  codfish,  and  he  gave  me  one  of 
your  sermons.  The  text  was :  '  Look  unto  Me,  and  be  ye  saved, 
all  the  ends  of  the  earth :   for  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else ' 


LETITRS.  22>J 

('  Sovereignty  and  Salvation,'  No.  60).  While  reading  that  ser- 
mon the  blessed  Spirit  of  God  enlightened  my  understanding,  and 
I  saw  Jesus  set  before  me  as  my  Saviour.  Blessed  hour !  Happy 
day !     Jesus  washed  my  sins  away." 

The  secretary  of  the  China  Inland  Mission  writes:  "This  morn- 
ing I  received  from  one  of  our  missionaries  in  China  a  letter, 
from  which  the  following  is  an  extract:  '  I  just  want  to  tell  you 
one  thing,  which  is  the  principal  object  I  had  in  writing  you  this 
time.  In  "  China's  Millions,"  of  December,  I  think  it  is,  you  men- 
tioned at  one  of  the  farewell  meetings  held  on  behalf  of  Messrs. 
Cooper,  Protheroe,  and  Thompson,  that  besides  Cooper  there  was 
another  in  China  (Hunnex,  I  presume)  who  had  been  led  to  offer 
himself  for  the  work  through  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermon,  "  The 
Divine  Call  for  Missionaries"  (No.  135 1).  It  was  that  "call" 
that  led  me  to  offer  myself  to  the  C.  I.  M. ;  previous  to  that  I 
had  thought  (D.V.)  of  applying  to  the  London  Missionary  Soci- 
ety ;  but  that  call  gave  me  no  rest  nor  peace  of  mind  till  I  had 
applied  to  the  C.  I.  M.,  till  I  had  read  the  "Millions"  sent  down 
for  my  perusal,  till  I  had  again  applied,  filled  up  the  form,  and 
gone  to  London.  So  there  are  three  working  in  connection  with 
the  C.  I.  M.  who  were  led  to  give  themselves  for  work  in  China 
through  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermon.'  " 

A  minister  from  Tennessee  recently  bore  the  following  personal 
testimony :  "  Nine  years  ago  I  was  a  wild  young  man,  but  I  was 
converted  through  reading  one  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons,  and  I 
am  now  the  minister  of  a  large  and  influential  church.  The  Lord's 
name  be  magnified  !  " 

One  of  the  students  recently  received  an  application  for  baptism 
from  a  young  Swiss  lady,  who  gave  this  testimony:  "  My  parents 
were  members  of  the  Protestant  Established  Church  in  Switzer- 
land ;  but  though  I  attended  the  ordinances  and  observed  the 
ceremonies,  I  always  felt  that  I  was  a  hypocrite,  for  I  never  be- 
lieved in  them,  but  desired  something  which  I  could  not  get  in 
the  church.  When  I  came  to  England  I  read  a  sermon  by  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  which  did  me  good.  '  John  Ploughman's  Talk,'  though 
funny,  was  made  a  great  blessing  to  me.  I  then  bought  his 
sermons,  and  read  them,  and  I  am  now  happy  to  say  that  I  am 


238  LIFE    AND    LABORS   OF   C.   H.    SPURGEON. 

trusting  in  Jesus.  When  I  return  home  I  shall  distribute  these 
sermons  which  have  been  so  blessed  to  me." 

Mr.  F.  H.  Newton,  of  the  German  Baptist  Mission,  writes: 
"  I  have  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  several  of  our  German 
churches,  and  especially  of  those  in  Russia.  I  feel  sure  you  will 
be  interested  to  learn  that  your  printed  words  (in  German)  have 
always  free  admission  into  Russia,  which  is  saying  a  great  deai, 
the  only  exception  being  in  the  case  of  your  sermon  on  '  Bap- 
tismal Regeneration'  (No.  573),  which  one  of  our  brethren 
translated  into  Russian  and  submitted  to  the  censor  of  the  press, 
who,  however,  refused  to  sanction  it,  as  he  considered  it  an  attack 
upon  the  Greek  Church.  The  brother  still  hopes  to  be  permitted 
to  print  it." 

From  the  State  of  Virginia  comes  the  following  pleasing  testi- 
mony :  "  Some  years  ago,  when  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  the 
bonds  of  iniquity,  without  God  and  without  hope  in  the  world,  I 
was  persuaded  by  a  friend  to  read  a  volume  of  your  sermons,  and 
now,  my  dear  sir,  let  me  tell  you  that  if  ever  I  felt  the  love  of  God 
shed  abroad  in  my  heart,  or  knew  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  I  owe 
it  to  the  perusal  of  your  sermons,  and  I  am  sure  you  were  the 
means  and  instrument  in  the  hands  of  God  of  my  conversion." 

"  In  recent  numbers  of  '  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel  *  several 
instances  have  been  given  of  the  good  effects  of  Spurgeon's  ser- 
mons; will  you  allow  the  writer  to  add  one  more  ?  In  one  of 
our  resorts  for  invalids  in  the  Midland  Counties  is  a  man  of  almost 
world-wide  distinction,  but  who  was  better  known  thirty  or  forty 
years  ago  than  he  is  to-day.  His  history  is  brimful  of  interesting 
incidents,  and,  when  written,  will  be  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in 
modern  times.  He  has  seen  eighty-eight  summers,  and  though 
his  natural  force  is  abated  and  his  eyes  somewhat  dimmed,  he 
can,  with  the  aid  of  a  lens,  see  to  read  the  daily  papers,  and  is 
conversant  with  all  the  current  events  in  national  and  social  life. 
He  is  as  sensitive  as  a  barometer  to  any  change  in  the  diplomacy 
of  the  courts  of  Europe,  and  especially  is  this  the  case  with  any- 
thing connected  with  the  tribes  of  Israel  and  their  restoration  to 
their  own  land.  He  has  crossed  the  desert  to  visit  Palestine,  and 
on  his  first  visit  was  accompanied  by  Dr.  Black  (who  spoke  nine- 


LETTERS.  229 

teen  languages),  McCheyne,  and  Bonar.  He  has  been  the  con- 
temporary of  some  of  the  most  distinguished  divines,  physicians, 
and  writers  that  Scotland  has  ever  known.  He  is  now  confined  to 
his  bed,  from  which  he  knows  he  will  never  be  lifted  until  he  is 
carried  to  the  place  of  sepulchre.  Not  a  murmur,  however, 
escapes  his  lips.  He  has  the  piety  of  a  saint  and  the  simplicity 
of  a  child ;  but  you  can  see  the  old  fire  burn  when  the  founda- 
tion truths  are  assailed  by  men  of  modern  thought.  His  chief 
joy  on  the  Sabbath,  dear  Mr.  Editor,  is  to  hear  one  of  your  ser- 
mons. The  reader  is  a  little  maid ;  and  he  avows  that  he  has  the 
best  preacher  and  hears  the  best  sermon  in  the  town.  Need  I  say 
that  our  aged  friend  is  Dr.  Alexander  Keith,  the  author  of  '  The 
Evidence  of  Prophecy'  and  other  valuable  works.  I  am  not 
commissioned  by  the  seer  to  send  you  the  above,  but  I  am 
commissioned  to  give  you  his  grateful  thanks  for  the  rich  feast 
you  give  him.  He,  moreover,  wished  me  to  say  that,  while  spend- 
ing the  winter  at  the  Bridge  of  Allan,  two  or  three  years  ago, 
your  sermons  were  read  by  invalids  in  five  separate  rooms  of  the 
same  establishment  every  Sunday.  Many  prayers  go  up  daily  to 
heaven  for  the  continuance  of  your  health  and  life,  but  not  the 
least  fervent  come  from  the  lips  of  this  dear  old  man." 

A  brother  minister,  who  signs  himself  "  A  Daily  Petitioner  at 
the  Throne  of  Grace  on  your  behalf,"  sends  the  following  note: 
"  About  September,  1869,  I  attended  the  Tabernacle  in  company 
with  my  wife  on  a  Thursday  evening.  Your  text  was:  'And  Lot 
.  .  .  pitched  his  tent  toward  Sodom.'  As  I  listened  to  your  earn- 
est appeals,  especially  to  Christians,  my  soul  was  stirred  to  its 
depths,  and  I  could  not  but  bedew  the  seat  in  the  gallery  with 
my  tears.  I  felt  a  new  baptism  of  love  for  souls,  and  returning 
home  we  both  dedicated  ourselves  afresh  to  God,  to  spend  and 
to  be  spent  for  those  who  know  not  the  Saviour.  I  can  truthfully 
say  I  have  a  measure  of  that  power  with  me  up  to  the  present 
time,  and  since  that  memorable  occasion  I  trust  I  have  been  ena- 
bled, both  in  the  open  air  and  in  chapels,  to  win  many  souls  for 
my  Master,  some  of  whom  are  gone  home,  and  others  are  on  the 
journey.     To  Him  be  all  the  praise  !  " 

A  friend  in  Jersey,  in  sending  a  donation  for  the  Girls'  Orphan- 


230  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

age,  writes :  "  I  have  been  a  reader  of  your  sermons  these  seven- 
teen years  or  more,  having  had  sent  to  me  monthly  the  Australian 
papers  in  which  they  appear  weekly.  God  has  been  graciously 
pleased  to  bless  them  to  the  salvation  of  my  soul.  I  had  almost 
begun  to  think  my  Saviour  had  forgotten  me.  I  knew  I  had  long 
ignored  Him.  I  have  lately  found  out  the  way  to  procure  them  in 
any  number,  and  have  gladly  availed  myself  of  it.  I  think  I  have 
now  near  six  hundred  of  them.  I  lend  them  out  in  books  of  fifty. 
I  prize  them  above  every  other  means  of  grace  save  tJie  Book.  As 
you  so  frequently  want  money  for  the  good  works  in  which  you 
are  always  engaged,  I  thought  you  would  not  despise  my  trifle.  I 
wish  it  were  fifty  times  as  much.  .  .  .  Receive  my  sincere  and 
heartfelt  thanks  for  the  unspeakable  good  your  sermons  have 
afforded  and  still  afford  me." 

A  friend  in  Glasgow,  who  signs  himself  "  Your  Loving  Son  in 
Jesus,"  gives  the  following  particulars  of  blessing  received  from* 
one  of  the  sermons:  "About  two  years  ago  a  sermon  of  yours 
entitled  'The  Search  Warrant'  appeared  in  the  'Christian  Herald.' 
I  had  been  anxious  long  before,  but  the  Wednesday  evening  that 
this  sermon  came  I  went  away  into  the  country  to  read  it.  Oh,  I 
was  in  earnest  that  night !  When  I  was  sure  I  was  alone  I  stood 
and  cried  to  God  in  prayer.  In  this  prayer  I  was  led  to  ask  but 
one  thing,  —  namely,  that  Spurgeon's  sermon  might  be  the  means 
of  saving  my  soul  that  night.  I  opened  the .  paper  and  read  it 
with  great  attention.  The  Spirit  was  with  me,  and  when  I  got 
half-way  through  brought  home  to  me  the  words,  '  the  very  sim- 
plicity of  faith  makes  the  difficulty.'  I  had  always  been  searching 
for  some  dark,  mysterious,  hidden  thing.  Back  I  went  to  the 
beginning,  with  a  firm  resolve  to  read  it  simply.  Then  I  saw  how 
one  thing  after  another  was  cast  down,  and  Faith  herself  was  made 
a  standing-ground  on  which  to  place  the  only  thing  that  I  could 
see  left  in  the  whole  sermon,  —  the  beautiful,  glorious,  '  altogether 
lovely '  form  of  our  wounded  Emmanuel.  Christ  was  everywhere, 
and  even  myself  had  vanished,  for  I  was  a  new  creature.  .  .  . 
Thank  God  for  a  Spurgeon  to  preach  '  The  Search  Warrant !  " 

A  friend  writes  from  Manchester  to  tell  us  that  her  father,  who 
has  been  a  great  drunkard  for  many  years,  has  become  a  believer 


LETTERS.  231 

in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  has  recently  joined  a  Christian  church.     She 
says :   "  It  is  all  through  reading  your  '  Seven  Wonders  of  Grace.'  " 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  of  one  of  the  mission- 
aries of  the  China  Inland  Mission :  "  We  stayed  over  the  Sabbath 
at  Ts6ng-k6-bu.  ...  In  the  evening,  after  reading  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
sermon  on  'The  Hiding  of  Moses  by  Faith '  (No.  1421),  I  gave 
the  substance  of  it  in  Chinese  to  our  native  pastor  and  the  preacher 
at  the  above  place,  and  then  with  deep-felt  earnestness  I  prayed 
God  to  spare  dear  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  the  Church  of  Christ  and  to 
the  world  for  many  years  to  come.  The  Chinese  cannot  pro- 
nounce '  Spurgeon  '  correctly,  so  we  call  Mr.  Spurgeon  in  this 
quarter  *  Sze  Pah-jing,' — that  is,  'The  Successor  or  Continuator 
of  a  Hundred  Virtues.'  The  word  '  hundred,'  in  Chinese,  stands 
for  an  indefinite  number." 

From  Natal  comes  a  cheering  letter,  which  contains  the  follow- 
ing references  to  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons:  "  In  i860  I  emigrated 
to  South  Africa,  and  on  board  the  ship  '  John  Masterman '  I  re- 
ceived the  first  of  your  sermons  I  ever  saw,  and  during  our  voyage 
they  were  read  every  Sabbath  for  divine  service  for  the  Presby- 
terian part  of  the  passengers.  I  so  loved  your  sermons  that  if 
I  only  got  a  spare  leaf  of  one  I  treasured  it  and  put  it  away.  .  .  . 
I  have  a  wife  and  eight  children.  I  live  on  a  small  farm  twelve 
miles  away  from  my  place  of  worship,  and  I  have  established  a 
school  on  the  farm,  and  with  my  own  family,  the  schoolmaster, 
and  some  of  the  children,  we  muster  a  small  band  of  from  fifteen 
to  twenty-two  on  the  Lord's-day  evening  to  read  one  of  your  loved 
and  highly  appreciated  sermons ;  and  we  seem  to  be  as  familiar 
with  your  name  as  if  we  met  every  Sabbath  at  the  Tabernacle.  I 
write  this  to  let  you  know  that  even  in  this  far-away  place  }'ou 
have  hearers  that  you  knew  not  of.  At  the  same  time  I  take  the 
opportunity  of  sending  you  the  small  sum  of  five  pounds,  wl.icli 
you  can  appropriate  wherever  it  is  most  needed." 

The  following  pleasing  note  comes  from  Russia :  "  I  came  to 
this  country  about  twenty-four  years  ago,  and  have  been  about  in 
various  parts  of  the  interior  ever  since.  Beyond  having  one  vol- 
ume of  your  sermons,  I  have  not  been  much  acquainted  with  the 
extent  of  your  progress  until  the  past  year,  during  which  I  have 


232  LIF-E  AND   LABORS   OF   C     H.    SPURGEON. 

taken  in  '  The  Sword  and  Trowel.'  Through  it  I  have  watched 
you  with  great  interest  and  earnest  prayer,  and  the  first  thing  I  fly 
to  now  on  receiving  a  new  number  is  your  Personal  Notes.  ...  I 
liave  a  wife  and  eight  children.  A  few  weeks  ago  I  explained  to 
them  the  meaning  of  the  Orphanage,  and  appealed  to  their  feel- 
ings ;  the  result  was  that  I  was  authorized  to  go  to  their  savings' 
bank  and  take  out  three  roubles  forty  kopecks  as  the  children's 
contribution.  We  have  now  made  up  the  sum  to  fifty-five  roubles, 
which  will  be  forwarded  to  you  from  St.  Petersburg  by  a  cheque. 
The  amount  should  not  be  less  than  five  pounds :  please  accept  it. 
I  am  so  deeply  interested  in  all  your  noble  institutions  that  I 
scarcely  know  how  to  divide  it,  but  I  think  if  you  will  give  one 
pound  to  Mrs.  Spurgeon  for  the  Poor  Ministers'  Clothing  Fund, 
one  pound  to  the  Colportage  Fund,  and  the  balance  to  the 
Orphanage,  we  cannot  do  better." 

A  Methodist  minister  in  Ireland  writes :  "  Many  a  time  these 
few  years  I  have  wondered  whether  you  know  that  you  are 
preaching  in  unnumbered  pulpits  every  Lord's  day,  in  many  cases 
word  for  word  as  reported  in  your  volumes.  You  are  aware,  I 
suppose,  that  the  weekly  sermon  is  read  by  two  thirds  of  the 
Protestants  in  Ulster.  In  some  cases  ten  families  join  in  taking  it, 
and  lend  it  from  one  to  another." 

The  deacons  of  a  church  in  South  Australia,  in  sending  a  dona- 
tion for  the  Girls'  Orphanage,  say:  "We  have  for  years  past  re- 
ceived substantial  help  from  your  printed  sermons.  Christians 
have  been  helped  on  their  way,  and  others  have  through  their 
instrumentality  been  introduced  into  the  light  and  liberty  of  the 
gospel." 

A  sailor  friend,  who  distributes  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons  and 
other  works  wherever  his  ship  goes,  writes  from  Jamaica:  "We 
have  given  away  nearly  all  the  books  and  sermons  that  we  had. 
We  are  saving  a  few  for  the  poor  negroes  at  the  other  ports  to 
which  we  are  going.  They  were  so  thankful  for  them  at  the 
Falkland  Islands,  and  enjoyed  reading  them  so  much.  In  one 
house  I  went  in,  I  saw  '  Morning  by  Morning '  and  '  Evening  by 
Evening ' ;  they  looked  quite  homely  to  me,  as  we  use  them  every 
morning  and  evening  on  board  ship." 


LETTERS. 


233 


Another  writes :  "  Though  it  may  be  known  to  you  already,  I 
venture  to  mention  one  incident  which  was  brought  to  my  notice. 
The  httle  island  of  Bryher  (one  of  the  Scilly  Isles),  though  it  only 
has  one  hundred  and  twenty  inhabitants,  contains  a  church  and  a 
chapel.  Service  is  held  at  the  church  occasionally,  and  then  the 
chapel  is  closed.  On  other  Sundays  the  service  is  held  at  the  chapel, 
and  the  sexton,  who  is  also  clerk  at  the  church,  reads  one  of  your 
sermons,  and  they  sing  Wesley's  hymns." 

We  subjoin  the  following  letter,  written  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  in  his 
editorial  capacity,  as  another  illustration  of  the  marvellous  influ- 
ence he  is  wielding  over  all  classes  of  men.  He  is  always  happy 
in  preaching  to  sailors,  and  his  prayers  often  ascend  on  behalf  of 
the  sons  of  the  sea :  — 

Dear  Mr.  Editor,  —  You  have  often  been  called  a  many- 
sided  man :  I  shall  therefore  address  your  editorial  personality, 
and  consider  for  the  moment  that  you  are  not  the  preacher  I  heard 
on  Thursday  evening  last.  I  venture  to  think  the  Metropolitan 
Tabernacle  had  more  sailors  and  sailor  workers  to  this  service 
than  ever  before.  The  good  manager  of  the  Sailors'  Home  sent 
up  two  wagon-loads,  while  Miss  Macpherson's  lady  friends  marched 
at  the  head  of  a  splendid  column  of  hardy,  well-dressed  sailors. 
Very  few  ports  of  the  world  were  unrepresented,  while  captains, 
officers,  and  missionaries  helped  to  fill  the  first  gallery.  Much 
prayer  had  been  offered  and  enthusiasm  awakened  by  Mr.  Spur- 
geon having  promised  to  preach  a  sailors'  sermon.  At  seven  he 
came  down  to  his  quarter-deck  looking  careworn  and  overworked, 
as  though  he  had  been  watching  a  week  in  the  Channel.  But  as 
he  looked  at  his  crew  on  the  starboard  and  port  sides  inspiration 
came,  and  the  buoyancy  of  his  spirit  returned. 

The  intercessory  prayer  for  those  at  sea  and  those  on  shore 
waiting  for  missing  ships,  led  many  hearts  to  the  throne  of  grace. 
As  to  the  sermon,  having  graduated  in  God's  university,  the  sea, 
with  wind  and  wave,  rock  and  sand,  sun  and  star  for  my  profes- 
sors, I  would,  as  a  qualified  judge,  pronounce  it  A  i  at  Lloyds', 
It  was  simply  first-rate,  and  worthy  of  the  great  preacher  and  his 
glorious  theme,  "  The  sea  is  His,  and  He  made  it."  I  want,  believ- 
ing that  it  is  calculated  to  bless  the  sailor  and   his  cause  and  to 


334  LI^^   ^^^    LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 

glorify  the  God  of  the  sea,  to  send  it  out  as  a  tidal  wave  of  blessing 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Give  me  fifty  thousand,  and  I  can  supply 
every  lighthouse  and  lightship  on  our  coast,  every  lifeboat  and 
coastguard  station,  every  British  consulate  and  sailors'  mission  in 
the  World,  and  the  great  British  mercantile  marine.  Give  me  a 
hundred  thousand,  and  her  Majesty's  ships  and  the  American 
navy  shall  be  supplied  as  well.  But  fifty  tJiousa7id  copies  I  must 
have,  and  I  solemnly  ask :  Who  is  going  to  do  this  for  Jesus,  the 
Lord  High  Admiral  of  the  seas?  Some  $i,ooo  would  cover  the 
entire  cost,  and  I  would  undertake  with  our  staff  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Sailors'  Society,  and  associate  societies,  a  proper  dis- 
tribution. Your  readers  are  not  aware  that  in  January  of  this 
year  the  effective  tonnage  of  the  mercantile  navies  of  the  British 
Empire  was  16,000,000,  while  the  rest  of  the  world  only  had  some 
11,500,000.  This  means  that  under  one  flag,  and  that  flag  the 
British,  there  is  now  fifty-eight  per  cent  of  the  shipping  of  the 
whole  world.  Storms  that  hurled  the  Tay  Bridge  into  the  sea 
have  played  havoc  with  our  shipping,  both  sail  and  steam.  In  the 
past  year  (1879),  not  counting  the  exceptionally  disastrous  months 
of  this  year,  no  less  than  1,688  vessels  were  reported  to  have 
been  wrecked,  with  an  estimated  value,  including  cargoes,  of 
$127,500,000! 

But  what  became  of  those  on  board  ?  About  five  thousand 
perished  !  People  have  no  conception  of  our  ocean  empire. 
Why,  there  are  fifty  thousand  fishing-boats  around  the  coasts  of 
Britain  alone ! 

Is  it,  then,  too  much  to  ask  for  a  hundred  thousand  copies  of 
this  special  sermon?  The  sailors  are  absent,  they  cannot  plead  for 
themselves.  This  is  why  they  are  too  often  forgotten.  It  will 
cheer  Mr.  Spurgeon  if  we  could  thus  serve  the  sailor.  Who  dare 
estimate  the  outcome  of  this  effort  for  the  extension  of  the  Re- 
deemer's kingdom?  Who  will  thus  help  to  make  the  sailors  the 
unpaid  evangelists  of  Christ  to  all  the  nations?  All  hands  lay 
hold  of  this  rope  and  give  us  a  pull ;  but  you,  Mr.  Editor,  must 
give  the  command,  or  few  will  obey.         Yours  faithfully, 

Edward  W.  Matthews, 

Secretary,  British  and  Foreign  Sailors'  Society.  Shadvvell,  London. 


XIX. 


PERSONAL    NOTES. 


Sometimes  our  experience  is  for  the  good  of  others,  and  sometimes  it  is  for 
our  own  good.  You  cannot  see  the  beauty  of  certain  gems  unless  you  place 
them  on  black  velvet.  When  you  have  something  black  behind,  then  you  see 
their  lustre.  So  there  are  promises  of  God  in  which  you  never  will  discover 
their  very  brightest  meaning  except  they  are  set  against  some  da/k  soul-trouble. 
Much  of  faith's  education  may  be  called  black-letter  learning.  Very  black  the 
letters  are,  too,  and  very  ugly  looking,  but  they  must  be  spelt  over.  You  cannot 
see  the  stars  in  the  daytime;  you  must  wait  till  the  sun  has  gone  down.  —  C.  H. 
Spurgeon. 


Present  Home  of  Pastor  C.  H,  Spurgeon. 


PERSONAL    NOTES. 


THE  monthly  "  Notes  "  from  Mr.  Spurgeon's  pen  are  not  the 
least  interesting  feature  of  "  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel." 
These  brief  "  Notes  "  speak  volumes.  They  reveal  the  pastor's 
heart  and  the  preacher's  faith.  They  declare  how  fully  identified 
is  the  workman  with  his  work,  how  ceaselessly  he  watches  over 
every  department  of  labor  originated  by  him.  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
friends  read  the  "  Notes "  with  prayerful,  grateful  hearts ;  his 
more  distant  acquaintances  with  ever-growing  admiration  for  the 
man;  strangers  with  awakened  interest  and  amazement.  The 
"  Notes"  possess  a  peculiar  freshness  when  first  published;  but  as 
items  of  work  done,  of  labors  directed,  and  of  energies  expended, 
they  are  worthy  of  a  more  permanent  place  than  the  pages  of  a 
monthly  journal. 

The  death  of  President  Garfield  creates  among  Christian 
people  a  feeling  far  deeper  than  that  which  arises  from  the 
decease  of  an  ordinary  ruler.  He  was  a  member  of  a  section  of 
the  Baptist  church,  and  the  representative  of  that  party  in  the 
United  States  which  is  the  friend  of  the  freedman.  His  fall  is  a 
serious  blow  to  those  in  the  States  whose  principles  are  on  the 
side  of  righteousness.  We  believe  that  it  will  be  overruled  for  the 
highest  ends,  but  as  it  stands  his  murder  is  a  great  calamity.  May 
his  widow  find  a  measure  of  consolation  in  the  sympathy  of  all 
civilized  nations,  and  comfort  without  measure  in  the  tender  mercy 
of  her  husband's  God !  England  and  America  have  been  drawn 
together  as  by  a  common  grief;  may  a  feeling  of  concord  thus 
sown  in  tears  be  reaped  in  joy!     Some  hundreds  of  Americans 


238  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

are  to  be  found  at  the  Tabernacle  all  through  the  summer,  and 
thus  the  pastor  is  drawn  into  close  fellowship  with  believers  on 
the  other  side  of  the  ocean. 

We  have  lately  felt  more  than  ever  the  burden  of  souls,  and  a 
strong  desire  for  a  special  visitation  of  grace  to  our  churches. 
Our  heart  wanted  vent.  Hence  we  begged  those  of  our  friends 
who  could  spare  the  time  to  come  together  an  hour  before  the 
week-night  services  to  pray  for  a  blessing.  Before  the  lecture  on 
Thursday  we  have  had  some  of  the  most  real  and  intense  prayer 
that  we  have  ever  known.  Perhaps  some  brother  minister  may 
take  the  hint,  and  see  whether  his  people  would  not  assemble  with 
much  enthusiasm  to  pray  for  a  blessing  upon  their  pastor  and  the 
service  about  to  be  held.  Where  regular  prayer-meetings  flag, 
it  is  well  to  hold  others  at  different  hours.  Better  get  the  people 
together  at  dead  of  night,  than  let  them  fall  into  a  dead  condition. 

In  answer  to  many  inquiries,  we  are  glad  to  speak  of  improved 
health.  No  summer  holiday  will  be  taken,  for  the  many  Sundays 
spent  in  the  sick-room  forbid  any  further  absence  from  home. 
Neither  can  we  travel  far  afield,  for  home  work  is  so  pressing. 
What  with  managing  everything,  preparing  the  weekly  sermon, 
editing  the  magazine,  and  writing  books,  we  are  not  doing  badly 
when  we  fill  up  our  weeks  as  we  do.  Here  is  a  specimen  week  in 
which  we  did  no  more  than  ordinarily,  but  a  little  more  than  usual 
was  visible  to  the  common  observer.  Five  sermons,  three  prayer- 
meetings,  chair  at  two  public  meetings,  speech  at  a  third,  one 
communion,  one  College  afternoon  of  two  hours'  lecturing.  Some 
of  these  occupied  far  more  time  in  preparation  than  in  the  actual 
doing  of  them.  We  are  thankful  to  be  able  to  work.  Oh,  that 
we  could  accomplish  far  more  !  We  need  the  prayers  of  all  loving 
friends  that  God  would  give  us  more  of  His  divine  blessing.  What 
is  all  that  we  can  do  without  His  Spirit? 

We  rejoice  to  hear  that  our  sermon  on  "  The  Divine  Call  for 
Missionaries"  (No.  135 1)  has  been  the  means  of  leading  another 
young  man,  besides  the  one  mentioned  in  our  "  Notes  "  for  June, 
to  consecrate  himself  to  the  work  of  foreign  missions.  Mr.  Broom- 
hall,  of  the  China  Inland  Mission,  sends  us  the  following  extract 
from  the  papers  of  an  accepted  candidate:   "  What  is  your  motive 


PERSONAL   NOTES.  239 

for  wishing  to  become  a  missionary?"  "The  glory  of  God  in 
the  salvation  of  the  heathen."  "  What  has  led  you  to  think  of 
doing  so?"  "A  sermon  by  Mr.  Sgurgeon  on  'The  Divine  Call 
for  Missionaries.' " 

One  of  the  bandsmen  of  the  Seventy-third  Regiment  writes  from 
India  to  say  that  he  receives  our  sermon  every  week  by  post,  and 
that  on  a  Sunday  evening  the  soldiers  will  read  "  Spurgeon's  Ser- 
mons "  when  they  will  read  nothing  else  of  a  religious  character. 
He  states  that  after  a  sermon  has  gone  the  round  of  fifty  or  sixty 
men  it  is  returned  to  him  all  black  and  fringed  through  the  wear 
and  tear. 

Dr.  Carson,  of  Coleraine,  says  concerning  the  sermons:  "In 
my  professional  calling  I  have  had  abundant  opportunity  of  know- 
ing the  good  they  do.  Space  would  not  allow  me  to  dwell  on 
this  point,  but  I  mention  the  instance  of  one  of  my  own  servants 
several  years  since.  When  he  was  waiting  for  me  every  day  at 
the  hospital  gate  I  observed  that  he  sat  down  on  the  step  of  the 
carriage  and  began  to  read.  I  asked  him  what  he  was  reading, 
and  he  said  it  was  a  tract  his  mistress  gave  him,  and  that  it  was 
the  nicest  thing  he  ever  read,  as  he  could  understand  every  word 
of  it,  and  he  wished  that  every  minister  would  preach  like  that.  I 
looked  at  it  and  found  it  was  one  of  Spurgeon's  sermons," 

Mr.  Wilhelm  Haupt,  missionary  to  the  Edinburgh  Ladies'  Aux- 
iliary to  the  German  Baptist  Mission,  in  his  last  quarterly  report, 
writes  as  follows:  "My  own  son  Willy,  now  seventeen  years  of 
age,  came  from  Barmen,  where  he  is  at  school,  to  spend  his  Easter 
holidays  with  us.  Shortly  before,  I  had  received  some  of  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's sermons  from  Dr.  B.,  amongst  which  was  one  entitled  'The 
Seven  Sneezes'  (No.  1461),  from  the  text,  2  Kings  iv.  35,  'And 
the  child  sneezed  seven  times.'  Having  read  this  sermon,  and 
believing  that  it  was  well  suited  to  his  case,  I  asked  my  boy  to 
translate  it  into  German  for  me.  During  the  work  of  translation 
I  could  plainly  see  that  what  I  had  hoped  was  taking  place,  —  the 
Lord  was  touching  his  heart  and  showing  him  his  position.  When 
he  had  finished  the  translation  I  asked  him  whether  he  too  felt  any 
signs  of  life,  and  he  acknowledged  he  desired  from  his  whole  heart 
to  become  a  Christian.     He  has  not  yet  full  assurance  of  faith,  but 


240  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

the  Lord  has  begun  His  work  of  grace,  and  I  have  every  reason 
to  beheve  He  will  complete  it.  I  am  very  grateful  for  the  gift 
of  these  splendid  sermons,  from  which  I  have  derived  much 
blessing." 

A  Scotch  friend,  in  sending  us  a  contribution  for  one  of  our 
works,  explains  that  it  is  a  thank-offering  for  the  enjoyment  and 
profit  derived  by  him  and  his  late  wife  from  reading  our  sermons. 
He  tells  us  that  he  is  so  deaf  that  he  cannot  hear  his  own  minis- 
ter's voice  in  the  service  of  the  sanctuary,  and  his  wife  was  too  ill 
to  go  to  church  for  two  years  before  she  died,  so  they  were  both 
very  grateful  to  get  every  Saturday  the  sermon  which  supplied 
them  with  spiritual  food  for  the  Lord's  day.  The  writer  further 
says :  "  Since  my  wife's  death  I  have,  after  reading  your  sermon, 
given  it  to  a  friend,  whose  wife  is  also  in  very  weak  health,  and 
has  not  been  able  to  go  to  church  for  nearly  two  years.  They 
enjoy  the  sermon  very  much,  and  after  reading  it  pass  it  on  to  a 
neighbor,  who  also  enjoys  it.  I  think  you  might  take  occasion  to 
drop  the  hint  that  each  reader  might  seek  out  some  invalid  person 
who  is  not  able  to  go  to  church  and  make  a  present  of  the  sermon, 
instead  of  allowing  it  to  lie  idle  on  the  shelf  The  sick  friend 
above  mentioned  was  visited  by  the  late  Rev.  James  Robertson  a 
few  days  before  his  decease.  She  told  him  that  her  own  minister 
called  to  see  her  so  seldom  that  she  might  now  say  that  she  had 
no  church  connection;  but  she  greatly  enjoyed  the  reading  of 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons.  *0h,  then,'  replied  Mr.  Robertson,  'you 
will  just  consider  you  are  one  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  people.' " 

One  of  our  church-members,  in  thanking  us  for  our  recent  ser- 
mon on  Psalm  Ivii.  4,  "My  soul  is  among  lions,"  writes:   "You 

may  be  sure  when  I  had  the  beer-house  in that  my  soul  was 

among  lions.  You  may  not  remember  that  your  preaching  was 
the  means  of  my  closing  that  house  on  the  Sunday  in  spite  of 
great  opposition,  persecution,  and  personal  loss.  I  kept  it  closed 
on  the  Sunday  with  one  exception,  when  the  devil  tempted  me  to 
open  it,  but  Christ  gained  the  victory,  and  enabled  me  to  close 
ever  afterwards  on  the  Sunday.  I  closed  on  the  same  Sunday  as 
you  opened  the  Tabernacle.  If  every  minister  could  be  the  means 
of  closing  one  public-house  on  the  Sunday  the  victory  would  be 


PERSONAL  NOTES.  241 

won.     The  sermon  on  Zechariah  xiv.  20  ('  A  Peal  of  Bells,'  No. 
399)  decided  me  to  join  the  church." 

A  brother  Baptist  minister,  in  sending  us  a  contribution  for  the 
Girls'  Orphanage,  says :  "  During  nearly  twenty  years'  ministry  I 
have  been  often  helped  and  encouraged  by  your  sermons,  which 
I  regularly  read  and  lend  to  others.  May  the  Lord  long  spare  you 
to  His  Church  !  " 

We  were  amused  when  we  were  informed  of  a  notice  that  re- 
cently appeared  in  a  shop  window  in  Newcastle.  Underneath  a 
lithographic  likeness,  or  what  professed  to  be  such,  was  the  an- 
nouncement, "  Spurgeon  reduced  to  Sixpence  !  "  The  kind  friend 
who  sent  us  the  intelligence  expressed  the  hope  that  we  were  not 
quite  so  poor  as  the  notice  implied. 

In  the  first  spare  corner  of  the  magazine  let  it  stand  recorded 
as  my  experience  that  the  Lord  is  exceeding  tender  in  His  deal- 
ings with  His  afflicted.  During  the  last  six  months  He  has  tried 
me  with  sharp  pains,  but  during  that  period  He  has  kindly  re- 
moved all  cause  for  serious  care  as  to  the  financial  needs  of  my 
many  institutions.  Everything  has  been  healthily  sustained,  and 
there  have  been  no  pitiful  appeals  by  striking  advertisement  or 
otherwise.  I  intend  no  censure  of  the  plans  of  others,  but  I 
cannot  help  admiring  the  considerate  providence  of  our  gracious 
Lord  that  He  has  kept  off  the  trial  of  straitened  supplies  from 
His  suffering  servant.  "  He  stayeth  His  rough  wind  in  the  day 
of  the  east  wind." 

Friends  have  come  forth  from  the  most  unexpected  quarters 
in  the  time  of  need,  —  nay  before  the  need  had  actually  come. 
Every  fund,  except  that  which  supplies  the  College,  is  in  better 
condition  than  before  my  illness,  and  even  that  is  hardly  an  ex- 
ception, for  the  outgoing  in  that  direction  will  no  doubt  be 
made  good  at  the  annual  supper.  Prayerful  trust  is  a  way 
which  the  Lord  will  assuredly  honor.  I  do  but  feebly  trust  and 
pray,  but  God  most  richly  answers ;  and  when  in  hours  of  crush- 
ing agony  both  supplication  and  confidence  seem  to  need  an 
effort  beyond  the  strength  of  the  tortured  mind,  the  Lord  deals 
with  mc  after  His  own  gracious  fashion,  "exceeding  abundantly 
above  all  that  we  ask,  or  even  think." 

24 


342 


LIFE  AND    LABORS   OF   C.   H.    SPURGEON. 


On  Monday,  September  29,  we  expect  to  say  good-bye  to  our 
son  Thomas  and  the  two  ministers  who  are  going  with  him  to 
Australia,  Mr.  R.  McCulloch,  from  the  College,  and  Mr.  J.  S. 
Harrison,  who  left  the  College  a  few  months  ago  and  settled  at 
Blackburn.  Mr.  Gibson,  a  generous  Christian  gentleman  of  Tas- 
mania, pays  the  passage  of  these  two  brethren,  that  they  may 
labor  in  that  island.  It  is  a  severe  trial  thus  to  be  separated 
from  a  loving  and  beloved  son,  but  the  will  of  the  Lord  be  done. 
We  commend  our  son  again  to^the  loving  care  of  those  Aus- 
tralian friends  who  so  generously  received  him  on  his  first  visit. 
He  will  need  rest,  but  after  a  while  we  trust  he  will  resume  his 
preaching,  go  through  the  Australian  colonies,  visit  New  Zealand, 
and  then  settle  down  somewhere  in  the  southern  world.  Such 
is  the  programme  which  our  imagination  has  mapped  out;  but 
how  little  we  know  of  the  future!  His  parents  surrender  him  to 
the  Lord's  work  abroad,  hoping  one  day  again  to  see  him  in  the 
flesh,  and  firmly  believing  that  he  will  do  good  service  for  the 
Lord  in  the  colonies.  Beloved  by  the  church  at  the  Tabernacle 
and  by  all  at  home,  we  fondly  hoped  that  our  son  would  have 
had  a  useful  career  in  England ;  but  Infinite  Wisdom  cannot  err. 

Mr.  Broomhall,  who  is  conducting  the  home  affairs  of  Mr. 
Hudson  Taylor's  mission,  brought  us  the  other  day  a  copy  of 
our  sermon  on  "The  Divine  Call  for  Missionaries,"  No.  135 1. 
It  was  scored  and  underlined,  and  had  been  carried  about  in  his 
pocket  by  a  brother  who  is  now  a  missionary;  the  sermon  hav- 
ing constrained  him  to  devote  himself  to  that  work  for  the  Lord. 
We  prized  the  discourse  more  than  if  the  princes  of  the  land 
had  covered  it  with  jewels.     To  God  be  all  the  glory ! 

A  nobleman  of  Alsace  visited  us  at  Mentone,  and  gave  us 
copies  of  two  of  our  sermons,  which  he  has  translated  into  French, 
and  lithographed  in  running  hand,  to  be  read  in  congregations. 
We  found  our  friend  almost  as  well  acquainted  with  our  work 
as  if  he  had  attended  the  Tabernacle  all  his  life.  He  came  a 
long  way  for  a  short  interview,  bringing  his  wife  and  his  son, 
and  by  this  visit  he  greatly  refreshed  our  spirit. 

A  minister,  living  at  Wisbech,  authenticates  the  following  sin- 
gular case  of  conversion  through  our  sermon  on  "  The  Portion 


PERSONAL   NOTES, 


243 


of  the  Ungodly,"  No.  444.  The  writer  says  in  a  recent  letter  to 
us:  "Seventeen  years  ago  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  permit  me  to 
dream  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  come,  and  in  my  dream  I 
saw  the  saints  rising  with  the  Lord  Jesus  to  glory.  I  was  left, 
and  near  me,  upon  a  large  quantity  of  stubble,  stood  an  acquaint- 
ance, who  addressed  me  thus :  *  They  used  to  say  in  the  other 
world  that  we  should  be  in  fire,  but  it  is  not  so.'  In  a  moment 
flames  burst  out,  and  in  my  fright  I  awoke.  A  few  days  after 
my  dream  my  friend  and  I  heard  you  preach  at  the  Tabernacle. 
Judge  how  great  was  our  surprise  when  you  announced  for  your 
text,  Isaiah  xlvii.  14,  'Behold,  they  shall  be  as  stubble;  the  fire 
shall  burn  them ;  they  shall  not  deliver  themselves  from  the  power 
of  the  flame :  there  shall  not  be  a  coal  to  warm  at,  nor  fire  to 
sit  before  it.'  "  In  August,  1876,  a  severe  affliction,  the  dream,  and 
our  sermon  resulted  in  our  friend's  conversion. 

One  of  our  students  writes  to  tell  us  about  the  conversion 
of  one  whom  he  has  recently  baptized,  who  thus  refers  to  the 
channel  through  which  the  blessing  reached  her:  "Before  I  was 
brought  to  Christ  I  had  a  desire  to  hear  Mr.  Spurgeon ;  accord- 
ingly, I  went  to  Exeter  Hall,  and  afterwards  to  the  Tabernacle, 
but  still  remained  in  my  state  of  unregeneracy.  One  day  I  was 
entering  the  drawing-room,  and,  looking  upon  the  table,  my  eye 
fell  at  once  upon  a  printed  sermon.  Taking  it  into  my  hand,  I 
read  the  text,  Psalm  li.  4.  I  read  a  little  of  the  sermon,  was  in- 
terested, and  read  on  until  I  was  not  only  interested  in  it,  but 
in  Christ:  this  was  the  means  of  my  conversion."  It  was  our 
sermon,  No.  86,  on  "  Unimpeachable  Justice." 

A  Christian  sea-captain  writes  to  tell  us  about  the  joyful  recep- 
tion of  our  sermons  at  St.  Kitts,  one  of  the  West  Indian  islands. 
He  says,  "  All  my  sermons  that  I  had  in  the  monthly  parts  I 
separated,  for  the  people  were  so  eager  for  them  they  came  from 
every  quarter  to  ask  for  them.  We  gave  some  to  the  master  of 
a  little  vessel  that  trades  to  different  islands,  and  we  saw  several 
of  the  laboring  men  gather  round  him  as  he  read  the  sermons  to 
them.  The  natives  seemed  to  drink  their  contents  down  with  as 
much  pleasure  as  a  thirsty  ox  does  water  on  a  summer's  day." 
The  mate  of  our  friend's  vessel  went  down  among  the  very  poor 


244  LIFE   AND   LABORS    OF   C.   H.    SPURGEON. 

who  do  not  go  anywhere,  and  had  two  meetings  among  them, 
which  the  people  very  much  enjoyed.  They  wanted  another 
visit,  but  before  the  next  Sabbath  the  vessel  had  sailed. 

In  "The  Preachers'  Annual"  of  1877,  page  544,  in  an  article  by 
the  Rev.  G.  T.  Dowling  on  "  Candidating,"  we  chanced  to  read  as 
follows :  "  Charles  Spurgeon  was  not  even  seriously  thought  of 
as  a  prospective  pastor  the  first  time  he  preached  in  London. 
Months  passed  by  before  he  was  again  invited  to  spend  a  Sabbath, 
and  when  even  a  call  was  extended  it  was  by  no  means  unani- 
mous. Some  families  even  left  the  church  because  '  that  boy '  was 
called." 

This  is  given  as  a  proof  that  successful  preachers  frequently 
produce  a  poor  impression  as  candidates.  This  may  be  a  general 
fact,  but  it  was  a  pity  to  fabricate  an  instance.  The  truth  is  exactly 
the  contrary.  The  moment  after  our  first  sermon  was  preached 
we  were  invited  by  the  principal  deacon  to  supply  for  six  months, 
for  he  felt  sure  that  at  a  church  meeting,  which  would  at  once  be 
held,  such  a  resolution  would  be  passed.  We  declined  his  offer,  for 
we  thought  it  too  hasty,  but  promised  to  preach  alternate  Sabbaths 
during  the  next  month ;  and  this  was  done,  and  followed  up  imme- 
diately by  a  further  invitation.  No  one  person  left  the  church  to 
our  knowledge,  and  the  resolution  inviting  us  was  as  nearly  unani- 
mous as  possible,  one  man  and  four  women  voting  to  the  contrary, 
all  of  these  becoming  in  after  time  most  friendly  to  us.  We  only 
mention  the  incident  as  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  advo- 
cates of  a  theory  too  often  manufacture  their  instances,  and  as  a 
warning  to  our  friends  to  be  slow  in  believing  anything  which  they 
may  hear  or  read  about  public  persons. 

Dr.  Blaikie,  in  a  recent  letter  to  us,  says  of  Dr.  Livingstone :  "  I 
had  in  my  hands  the  other  day  one  of  your  sermons,  very  yellow  : 
it  lay  embedded  in  one  of  his  journals  —  had  probably  been  all 
over  Africa — and  had  in  Livingstone's  neat  hand  the  simple  words, 
'  Vet y good.'  Would  you  like  it?"  Our  reply,  as  the  reader  will 
guess,  was  an  urgent  request  that  we  might  have  the  yellow  relic. 

The  Religious  Tract  Society  kindly  favors  us  with  the  following 
extract  from  a  letter  from  a  member  of  the  Servian  Government, 
in   reference   to   our  sermon,    "  Come   and  Welcome,"  which   has 


Rev.  John  Spurgeon,  Father  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon, 
82  years  old,  1892. 


PERSONAL   NOTES. 


245 


been  published  in  Servia:  "  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermon,  '  Come  and 
Welcome,'  continues  to  be  much  read  and  appreciated.  The  Dean 
of  Thabatz  writes  to  thank  me  that  I  have  procured  for  Servian 
Christians  such  most  valuable  reading;  and  also  adds  that  he  has 
never  read  anything  more  edifying  and  more  *  filling  the  soul.'  A 
copy  found  its  way  to  the  State  Prison  of  Posharevatz,  and  I  am 
informed  has  been  there  read  with  much  enjoyment,  even  by  some 
men  who  have  been  pronounced  infidels.  An  old  gentleman  be- 
longing to  the  highest  rank  of  our  society  took  the  opportunity 
of  an  evening  party  in  his  house  to  read  the  whole  sermon  to  the 
ladies  and  gentlemen  present.  I  am  mentioning  to  you  all  these 
details,  believing  them  to  be  hopeful  signs  of  coming  harvest,  and 
feeling  myself  happy  and  thankful  to  our  merciful  Father  that 
the  first  seed,  which  by  the  instrumentality  of  your  committee  has 
been  thrown  in  the  earth  of  Servia,  seems  to  bear  with  it  God's 
blessing." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  at  Portsmouth,  October  26.  He  writes : 
One  of  the  papers  seems  to  wonder  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  ner- 
vous !  Who  could  avoid  it  amid  that  dense  throng,  in  a  frail  build- 
ing, with  constant  interruptions?  The  horror  of  great  darkness 
which  passed  over  the  preacher's  soul,  few  can  understand  but 
those  who  have  once  seen  a  multitude  flying  in  panic,  and  people 
trodden  to  death  in  the  crush.  We  should  be  able  to  preach 
abroad  far  oftener  if  we  could  secure  moderate  audiences,  in 
places  full  to  safety,  but  not  crowded  to  murder-point.  However, 
the  occasion  ended  well ;  and  to  God  be  praise!  The  efforts  of 
all  friends  at  Portsmouth  to  entertain  the  Baptist  Union  were  most 
praiseworthy. 

For  an  opportunity  of  preaching,  Southampton,  on  October  27, 
bears  the  palm ;  for  there  we  had  order  and  quiet  throughout,  and 
we  trust  the  Divine  Presence  was  there.  It  was  a  singular  sight  to 
see  at  these  services  men  of  all  grades  and  creeds,  and  even  more 
remarkable  to  observe  with  what  kindliness  they  received  the 
preacher  of  the  Word.  Surely  there  is  some  softening  process 
at  work,  some  coming  together  of  divergent  creeds,  some  candor 
towards  long-despised  truth.  In  the  house  of  Canon  Wilberforce, 
in  concert  with  Lord  Radstock  and  other  friends,  we  had  much 


246  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

friendly  discussion,  but  far  more  spiritual  communion  both  in 
conversation  and  prayer.  The  life  of  God  in  the  souls  of  believers 
triumphs  over  even  important  differences  of  ceremonial  and  doc- 
trine. In  honestly  dealing  with  each  other  in  the  spirit  of  love 
to  Christ  we  shall,  by  the  Holy  Ghost's  guidance,  find  the  way 
to  mutual  edification  and  enlightenment,  and  so  to  real  unity. 
If  congresses,  and  conferences,  and  meetings,  by  bringing  Chris- 
tians together,  shall  continue  to  increase  their  knowledge  of  each 
other,  and  their  common  regard  for  one  another,  they  will  do 
more  towards  the  unity  of  Christendom  than  all  the  plans  and 
societies  which  have  this  for  their  design,  but  know  not  how  to 
compass  it. 

Altogether,  Southampton  friends  deserve  the  highest  commen- 
dation. We  were  delighted  to  find  three  of  our  College  men  at 
Southampton  and  two  at  Portsmouth,  all  favored  with  the  divine 
blessing,  and  heartily  working  together  to  give  entertainment  to 
the  denomination  which  met  in  such  force  in  the  two  towns. 
Others  of  our  own  men  were  to  the  front,  holding  their  own  among 
the  best  of  their  brethren.  We  are  greatly  rejoiced  when  we  see 
a  man  raised  up  in  the  ranks  of  the  Church  to  serve  the  Lord 
valiantly,  and  there  is  just  a  drop  of  special  zest  to  our  joy  when 
it  happens  to  be  one  of  the  sons  of  the  Pastors'  College. 

On  Friday  evening,  October  21,  the  eleventh  annual  meeting  of 
the  Green  Walk  Mission,  conducted  by  Mr.  William  Olney,  Jr.,  was 
held  in  the  Tabernacle  Lecture  Hall,  when  there  was  a  large  at- 
tendance of  the  workers  and  friends  of  the  mission.  Pastor  C.  H. 
Spurgeon  presided.  Mr.  Bennett  read  the  report,  which  com- 
menced with  a  grateful  reference  to  the  spirit  of  prayer  which  had 
prevailed  among  the  workers,  and  a  recognition  of  the  Lord's 
loving  care  of  them  at  the  time  when  the  tempest  blew  down  the 
tent  in  August  last.  It  then  proceeded  to  specify  the  various 
special  and  ordinary  means  which  had  been  used  for  the  pur- 
pose of  bringing  the  people  of  Bermondsey  to  the  feet  of  Jesus. 
These  include  Sunday  and  Thursday-evening  services ;  five  prayer- 
meetings  during  the  week  ;  magic-lantern  lectures  illustrating  the 
Scriptures ;  five  open-air  services  weekly  ;  a  tract  society,  for 
the  distribution  of  the  pastor's  sermons  by  twenty-one  friends,  who 


The  Late  Mrs.  John  Spurgeon, 
Mother  ok  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


PERSONAL   NOTES.  247 

go  from  house  to  house  on  Sunday  afternoons;  a  Sunday-school, 
with  an  average  attendance  in  the  afternoon  of  386  scholars  and 
twenty-five  teachers,  more  of  whom,  especially  for  the  girls'  classes, 
are  greatly  needed;  an  infant  class  of  about  150  children;  a 
mothers'  meeting,  on  Wednesday  afternoons;  a  Dorcas  society; 
song-services  ;  missionary  meetings,  and  other  agencies  which  could 
not  be  mentioned  in  the  "  short  report."  The  spiritual  results 
seen  since  the  last  annual  meeting  have  been  most  cheering,  over 
fifty  persons  having  testified  to  Mr.  Olney  that  they  have  been  led 
to  the  Saviour,  and  many  of  them  having  united  with  the  churches 
at  the  Tabernacle,  Greenwich,  Pentonville,  and  Rye  Lane. 

It  was  a  good  meeting,  and  greatly  cheered  the  pastor's  heart  as 
he  saw  with  what  vigor  the  various  branches  of  Tabernacle  work 
are  being  carried  on.  Here  was  a  work  large  enough  for  a  sepa- 
rate church,  and  yet  only  one  of  many  boughs  of  the  old  tree. 

Orphanage.  Christmas  Festivities.  —  The  best  thanks  of  the 
orphans  and  of  the  president  of  the  Orphanage  are  due,  and  are 
hereby  heartily  tendered,  to  all  those  who  by  their  generous  help 
made  Christmas  at  the  Orphanage  to  be  a  time  of  great  enjoyment. 

Our  son  Charles,  who  took  our  place  on  Christmas  day,  sent  us 
the  following  lively  account  of  the  day's  proceedings:  — 

Dear  Father, — 

"  Christmas  day  has  vanished  fleeting, 
Gone  its  merry  hours  of  meeting  ; 
Hearty  fun  and  hearty  eating, 
Gone  hke  Christmas  days  of  yore,"  — 

so  I  write  to  tell  you  how  happy  all  were  at  the  Stockwell 
Orphanage.  To  commence  with,  the  morning  service  at  New- 
man Hall's  was  very  good.  The  fog  was  dense,  so  a  large  congre- 
gation could  not  be  expected,  but  all  were  gratified  to  see  so 
many  there.  The  collection  will  realize  ^50  (two  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars).  A  fine  Christmas-box  indeed  !  The  walk,  no  doubt, 
gave  the  lads  a  keen  appetite  for  the  beef  Before  they  set  to  I 
read  your  kind  letter,  amid  perfect  silence  (for  a  pin  might  have 
dropped,  as  Tom  used  to  say)  until  I  had  finished  the  first  sen- 
tence, "  I  wish  you  all  a  merry  Christmas."  Then  they  burst  out. 
"  The  same  to  you,  sir,"  and  Mr.  Charlesworth  observed  that  it 


24S  IJFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

was  no  fault  of  yours  if  you  did  not  hear  it.  There  was  not  one 
heart  that  did  not  fervently  desire  joy  for  you  while  absent  from 
the  Orphanage.  The  boys  did  the  cheering  well  for  everybody 
named  in  the  note,  but  none  exceeded  the  hurrahs  given  for  the 
eleven  little  girls  when,  with  Miss  Moore  leading  the  foremost, 
they  walked  down  the  hall  to  dinner.  Dear  little  mites,  they  stood 
on  the  form  for  the  boys  to  look  at  them,  and  then  listened  to 
your  loving  words.  As  per  usual,  ample  justice  was  done  to  the 
dinner.  Then  the  grandees  had  their  dinner.  A  vacant  chair 
again  occupied  the  centre  position  at  the  table;  I  could  not  fill 
it,  and  regretted  that  my  dear  father  was  not  there  to  do  so, 
although  I  am  truly  glad  you  are  away  from  these  awful  fogs. 
None  forgot  the  president  when  they  spoke,  but  all  mourned  his 
absence.  It  fell  to  my  lot  to  receive  a  present  from  the  "  old 
boys,"  consisting  of  a  case  of  cutlery,  —  a  very  handsome  gift 
indeed,  and  one  that  will  be  useful,  too,  by  and  by.  In  the 
evening  we  heartily  enjoyed  ourselves.  May  the  time  come  round 
when  you  will  be  there  to  rejoice  with  those  who  do  rejoice ! 

The  following  is  the  letter  which  we  sent  to  the  Orphanage :  — 

Mentone,  December  20. 

Dear  Boys,  —  I  wish  you  all  a  merry  Christmas.  My  son, 
Mr.  Charles  Spurgeon,  will  tell  you  that  it  is  a  great  trouble  to 
me  to  be  away  from  you  all  at  Christmas,  but  I  hope  you  will  all 
enjoy  yourselves  none  the  less,  and  be  as  happy  as  kittens.  I  am 
very  pleased  to  hear  that  as  a  rule  you  are  a  good  lot  of  fellows, 
obedient,  teachable,  and  true;  therefore  you  have  a  right  to  be 
happy,  and  I  hope  you  are.  I  always  wish  everything  to  be  done 
to  make  you  love  the  Orphanage  and  feel  it  to  be  your  home,  and 
in  this  all  the  trustees  join,  and  so  does  Mr.  Charlesworth.  We 
want  you  to  be  very  jolly  while  you  are  with  us,  and  then  to  grow 
up  and  go  out  into  business,  and  to  turn  out  first-rate  men  and 
true  Christians. 

Boys,  give  three  cheers  for  the  trustees,  who  are  your  best 
friends,  and  then  the  same  for  Mr.  Charlesworth,  the  matrons,  and 
the  masters.  Don't  forget  the  gentlemen  who  send  the  shillings 
and  the  figs.     Hip,  hip,  hurrah ! 

Where  are  the  girls? 


PERSONAL  NOTES.  349 

Dear  Children,  —  I    hope  you    will  be    happy  too,    with    Miss 

Moore  and  the  other  kind  folks.     You  cannot  make  quite  so  much 

noise  as  those  uproarious  boys,  but  your  voices  are  very  sweet, 

and  I  shall  be  glad  one  day  to  hear  them  when  I  get  well  and 

come    home.     Enjoy   yourselves   all   you    can,   and  try  to   make 

everybody  happy  in  your  new  home.     I  hope  my  first  little  girls 

will  be  specially  good  ones.     Ought  not  the  first  to  be  the  best? 

Your  friend  always, 

C.  H.  Spurgeon. 

Any  old  boys  about?  God  bless  the  young  men,  and  make 
them  our  strength  and  honor. 

Among  the  many  expressions  of  brotherly  kindness  and  sym- 
pathy which  have  reached  us  during  our  sojourn  abroad,  one  calls 
for  special  mention.  Just  as  we  were  retiring  to  rest  one  night,  a 
soft  pillow  for  our  head  and  heart  arrived  by  telegraph  from  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  This  was  the  form  in  which  the  sweet 
love-token  came  to  hand:  "To  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  Mentone,  France. 
From  New  York  Baptist  Ministers'  Conference:  Prayers.  Sym- 
pathy. 2  Corinthians  i.  2,  7.  Potter,  Secretary."  The  full  text 
of  the  message  is  as  follows :  "  Grace  be  to  you  and  peace  from 
God  our  Father,  and  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  .  .  .  And  our 
hope  of  you  is  stedfast,  knowing,  that  as  ye  are  partakers  of  the 
sufferings,  so  shall  ye  be  also  of  the  consolation." 

May  the  ever-blessed  Giver  of  peace  and  Lover  of  concord 
return  to  these  brethren  ten  thousand-fold  this  their  deed  of  love 
towards  their  afflicted  fellow-servant.  Such  costly  acts  of  sponta- 
neous sympathy  go  far  to  prove  that,  degenerate  as  the  age  may 
be,  there  is  life  and  love  in  the  old  Church  yet. 

This  telegram  was  followed  on  January  15  by  the  following 
most  touching  letter,  for  which  we  feel  the  utmost  gratitude :  — 

Rev.  Charles  H.  Spurgeon: 

Beloved  Brother,  —  The  sorrowful  tidings  reach  us  that  you 
are  entirely  prostrated,  not  being  able  even  to  address  your  weekly 
epistle  of  love  to  your  own  church.  Your  sufferings  touch  the 
hearts  of  your  American  brethren  most  tenderly,  and  the  New 


250  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 

York  Conference  of  Baptist  ministers,  numbering  more  than  one 
hundred,  has  appointed  the  undersigned  a  committee  to  express 
their  deep  sympathy  with  you  in  your  present  trial. 

Be  assured,  precious  brother,  that  this  expression  is  most  heart- 
felt and  real :  you  live  in  our  hearts  so  truly  that  your  affliction  is 
ours,  on  the  divine  principle  that  if  one  member  suffers  all  the 
members  suffer  therewith.  In  health,  you  have  sent  thrilling 
words  of  cheer  to  the  afflicted  disciples  of  the  Lamb  all  round 
the  globe.  And  now,  in  the  hour  of  your  darkness,  their  affec- 
tions cling  closer  to  you  than  ever.  Your  pain  meets  with  little 
mitigation  through  the  livelong  day  and  night  while  the  sun 
makes  his  rounds  over  all  lands,  and  we  believe  that  in  most  of 
the  nations  that  see  his  light  the  prayers  of  your  brethren  are 
rising  to  the  God  of  all  consolation  as  from  a  common  altar,  that 
divine  succor  may  be  vouchsafed  to  you  every  hour. 

Truly,  Infinite  Grace  has  chosen  you  in  the  furnace  of  affliction. 
How  far  your  terrible  pains  in  the  past  have  contributed  as  a 
holy  discipline  to  the  creation  of  that  noble  Christian  manhood 
which  has  marked  your  life  and  labors  so  long,  can  be  known  only 
to  our  Heavenly  Father.  But  we  believe  that  as  our  Captain  was 
made  perfect  through  sufferings.  He  will  so  sanctify  yours,  that 
even  a  more  mellow  and  gentle  ministry  will  mark  your  coming 
years  than  those  which  are  past.  Should  our  hopes  be  thus  grat- 
ified, the  sorrowing  people  of  God  will  draw  strength  once  more 
from  your  weakness,  and  sweetness  out  of  your  bitter  cup. 

Dearly  beloved  one,  we  commend  to  you  now  those  broad  and 
bright  promises  of  our  Lord  which  you  have  so  forcibly  applied 
to  the  souls  of  His  people  in  their  distresses.  Let  your  Christian 
fortitude  bind  you  indissolubly  to  the  fidelity  of  your  covenant- 
keeping  Saviour,  till  a  holy  courage  can  humbly  say,  "  Though 
Thou  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  Thee."  We  shall  not  cease  to  pray 
that  our  sympathetic  Redeemer  will  be  at  your  right  hand,  that  He 
will  fill  your  room  with  heavenly  light,  and  your  heart  with  sacred 
joy.  "  Be  of  good  cheer,"  lift  up  thine  eyes,  and  see  thy  Lord 
coming  to  thy  help  on  the  wave,  and  in  the  darkest  watch  of  the 
night.  Can  he  not  say  to  the  crazy,  creaking  vessel,  that  years  are 
added  to  its  davs?     This  He  has  said  in  similar  stress  heretofore. 


PERSONAL  NOTES.  251 

And  we  confidently  hope  that  your  valuable  life  will  be  still  spared 
to  do  a  glorious  work  for  that  General  Church  of  Christ  which 
claims  you  as  its  pastor,  in  common  with  the  brethren  at  the  Tab- 
ernacle. The  Conference  tenders  its  Christian  condolence  to  your 
beloved  household,  in  these  days  when  with  them  hope  and  fear 
are  struggling  so  hard  for  the  mastery.  May  Jehovah  keep  and 
bless  you  all. 

Yours  affectionately, 

Thos.  Armitage,  ^ 

Christopher  Rhodes,  >Committee. 
Jesse  B.  Thomas,         J 


2(^2  UFE  AND   LABORS  OF  C.  H.   SPURGEON 


PSALM    CXIl. 

Blessed  is  the  man  that  feareth 

And  delighteth  in  the  Lord  ! 
Wealth,  the  wealth  which  truly  cheereth, 
God  shall  give  him  for  reward  ; 
And  his  children 
Shall  be  blest  around  his  board. 

He  shall  not  be  moved  for  ever, 

Though  with  evil  tidings  tried; 
Nought  from  God  his  faith  shall  sever, 

Fixed  his  heart  shall  still  abide; 
For  believers 
Are  secured  on  every  side. 

To  the  upright  light  arises, 

Darkness  soon  gives  place  to  day; 

While  the  man  who  truth  despises, 
And  refuses  to  obey, 
In  a  moment, 

Cursed  of  God,  shall  melt  away. 

Therefore  let  us  praise  Jehovah, 
Sound  His  glorious  name  on  high, 

Sing  His  praises,  and  moreover 
By  our  actions  magnify 
Our  Redeemer, 

Who  by  blood  has  brought  us  nigh. 

C.  H.  Spurgeon- 


'Skx 


-^-{U^-te^ 


XX. 


MRS.    SPURGEON'S    WORK 


Come  in,  O  strong  and  deep  love  of  Jesus,  like  the  sea  at  flood-tide  ;  cover 
all  my  powers,  drown  all  my  sins,  sweep  away  all  my  cares,  lift  up  my  earth- 
bound  soul,  and  float  it  right  up  to  my  Lord's  feet,  and  there  let  me  lie,  a  poor 
broken  shell,  washed  up  by  His  love,  having  no  virtue  or  value,  and  only  ven- 
turing to  whisper  to  Him  that,  if  He  will  put  His  ear  to  me.  He  will  hear  within 
faint  echoes  of  the  vast  waves  of  His  own  love  which  have  brought  me  where  it 
is  my  delight  to  lie,  even  at  His  feet  for  ever.  —  C  H.  Spurgeon. 


MRS.    SPURGEON'S   WORK. 


WE  have  always  recoiled  from  pronouncing  fulsome  eulogies 
upon  any  worthy  persons  engaged  in  serving  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  every  right-minded  man  and  woman  shrinks 
from  that  form  of  adulation  which  is  akin  to  flattery.  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  has  had  his  share  of  praise  and  blame,  but  has  been  gra- 
ciously kept  independent  of  both.  Happy  is  the  man  who  takes 
no  heed  to  the  "  flatterer,"  and  is  alike  impervious  to  the  shafts 
of  venom  shot  by  a  jealous  hand. 

Mrs.  Spurgeon,  like  her  noble  husband,  would  fain  have  the 
crown  of  praise  placed  on  the  brow  of  Jesus,  and  glory  be  given 
to  Him  for  the  work  she  has  been  permitted  to  do.  Like  the 
model  virtuous  woman  sketched  by  the  wise  man,  "  she  stretcheth 
out  her  hand  to  the  poor;  yea,  she  reacheth  forth  her  hands  to 
the  needy.  .  .  .  She  looketh  well  to  the  ways  of  her  household,  and 
eateth  not  the  bread  of  idleness.  Her  children  arise  up,  and  call 
her  blessed ;  her  husband  also,  and  he  praiseth  her."  The  work 
which  this  amiable  lady  has  so  successfully  originated  and  main- 
tained is  worthy  of  emulation  on  the  part  of  Christian  women, 
whose  employment,  alas,  too  often,  is  that  of  "  killing  time." 

Mrs.  Spurgeon  has  been  a  constant  sufferer,  unable  to  parti- 
cipate in  the  great  schemes  of  benevolence  connected  with  her 
husband's  labors,  yet  from  her  quiet  chamber  she  has  personally 
procured  and  directed  tens  of  thousands  of  books  to  needy  pas- 
tors, whose  libraries  were  in  great  need  of  her  generous  donations. 
Besides,  she  supervises  a  private  and  humble  mission,  which  sends 
clothing  to  their  poorly  clad  children  and  suffering  wives.    Dorcas- 


256  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

like,  she  labors  for  the  poor,  and  her  work  is  wisely  planned, 
managed  with  economy,  and  precious  in  its  results.  The  life  of 
this  dear  afflicted  lady  is  fragrant  with  benevolence ;  many  homes 
are  made  glad  as  the  results  of  her  toil. 

Her  peculiar  ministry  has  the  hearty  commendation  of  her  hus- 
band, and  his  most  prayerful  sympathy ;  in  him  she  finds  a  wise 
counsellor,  and  a  true  friend  to  the  poor  pastors  whose  need  and 
trials  become  the  objects  of  her  sympathy  and  solace.  Through 
him  she  has  received  much  material  help,  and  every  encourage- 
ment in  the  prosecution  of  her  self-imposed  task.  Thus  he 
writes :  — 

"  How  deep  is  our  own  interest  in  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  most  useful 
and  needful  work  we  need  scarcely  tell ;  we  trust  that  our  readers 
will  feel  a  measure  of  the  same  sympathy,  and  exhibit  it  in  tangi- 
ble form.  A  famine  of  books  to  a  teacher  of  others  is  almost  as 
distressing  as  want  of  bread.  Want  of  good  books  has,  we  doubt 
not,  tended  greatly  to  impoverish  the  ministries  of  many  preach- 
ers. How  could  they  fill  the  minds  of  others  when  they  had  no 
food  for  their  own  ?  " 

From  one  of  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  yearly  reports  we  cull  the  fol- 
lowing:— 

The  Book  Fund  makes  grants  to  poor  pastors  of  every  evan- 
gelical denomination  who  are  in  actual  charge,  wholly  devoted  to 
the  ministry,  and  whose  income  from  all  sources  does  not  exceed 
$750  per  annum. 

These  grants  consist  of  seven  or  eight  volumes,  and  usually 
comprise  the  "  Treasury  of  David,"  or  some  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
sermons,  —  not  to  the  exclusion  of  other  books,  but  chiefly  be- 
cause they  are  the  works  most  sought  after  by  applicants  to  the 
fund ;  and  I  am  not  afraid  or  ashamed  to  say  it,  because  I  know 
I  could  not,  with  the  slender  means  at  my  command,  give  any 
more  precious  or  more  helpful.  There  are  several  special  books 
for  ministers  which  I  would  at  once  add  to  my  list  if  friends  who 
wish  for  their  circulation  would  supply  me  with  the  means. 

Poor  ministers  are  the  rule,  not  the  exception:  they  are  not 
restricted  to  the  Baptist  denomination   or  to  our  own  land,  but 


MRS.    SPURGEON'S    WORK.  257 

abound  in  every  connection  and  in  all  climes ;  their  needs  are 
very  urgent,  their  prospects  seldom  brighten,  and  their  ranks 
Clever  seem  to  thin.  My  work  for  them  is  as  great  a  nccessitv^ 
now  as  it  was  at  its  commencement,  —  nay,  I  think  its  importance 
has  increased  with  its  extension,  the  latent  thirst  for  knowledge 
has  been  developed  by  its  gifts,  and  a  keener  appetite  for  mental 
food  has  been  produced  by  the  provision  it  has  furnished.  I  need 
not  enlarge  on  the  absolute  necessity  which  exists  for  a  minister 
to  possess  books,  if  he  would  be  an  efficient  teacher  and  preacher: 
the  mind  which  is  itself  not  fed  cannot  very  long  feed  others :  but 
I  would  point  out  the  impossibility  of  procuring  these  essential 
helps  and  appliances  when  a  man  has  to  provide  for  himself  and  a 
wife  and  family  on  a  pittance  of  $300,  $400,  or  $500  per  annum. 

To  such  weary  "workers  with  a  slender  apparatus"  my  Book 
Fund  stretches  forth  a  helping  hand :  it  fills  the  empty  basket 
with  tools,  gives  a  key  to  a  well-stocked  storehouse,  replenishes 
an  exhausted  brain,  supplies  ammunition  for  the  combat  with  evil, 
makes  sunshine  in  shady  places,  and  by  God's  own  blessing  does 
a  vast  amount  of  good  wherever  its  gifts  are  scattered. 

It  is  the  joy  of  my  life  thus  to  serve  the  servants  of  my  Master, 
and  the  daily  blessings  and  tender  providences  which  surround  my 
work  are  more  precious  to  me  than  words  can  express.  Some 
of  the  subjects  of  my  thankfulness  may  seem  small  and  incon- 
siderable to  others,,  but  to  me  they  are  of  constant  interest  and 
importance.  My  retired  life  shuts  out  the  usual  pleasures  of 
social  intercourse,  but  opens  wide  a  world  of  glad  delight  in  thus 
"  ministering  to  the  necessities  of  the  saints."  I  have  scores  of 
friends  with  whose  circumstances  I  am  intimately  acquainted,  yet 
whose  faces  I  have  never  looked  upon.  I  hope  to  know  and  greet 
them  on  the  "other  shore; "  and  meanwhile  their  love  and  prayers 
are  a  sweet  reward  for  such  pleasant  service  as  the  Lord  enables 
me  to  render  to  them.  In  these  pages  will  be  found  some  of  the 
expressive  outpourings  of  grateful  hearts,  and  though  the  letters 
here  given  form  but  a  small  portion  of  the  great  mass  of  affection- 
ate correspondence  connected  with  the  fund,  they  will  serve  to 
reveal  some  of  the  daily  comfort  and  encouragement  I  receive 
through  this  channel.     Ah,  if  by  His  grace  we  can  but  win  from 


35S  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 

our  Master  the  approving  words,  "  Ye  did  it  unto  me,"  the  joy  of 
service  is  then  only  "  a  Httle  lower"  than  the  supreme  felicity  of 
heaven !   .   .   . 

The  following  tenderly  kind  little  note  contains  such  a  testimony 
to  the  value  of  the  Book  Fund  that  I  am  tempted  to  give  it,  even 
though  I  have  to  include  its  unmerited  commendation  of  my  own 
small  service:  — 

'-'  My  dear  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  —  Please  accept  the  enclosed  mite 
toward  the  Book  Fund.  If  it  please  God,  may  you  long  be  spared 
to  carry  on  this  great  and  blessed  work,  which  has  been  sancti- 
fied to  the  good  of  so  many  of  the  Lord's  servants,  and  through 
them  to  so  many  of  His  people.  Surely  this  must  redound  to  the 
praise  and  glory  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  whose  we  are  and  whom  we 
serve.  I  believe,  dear  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  that  every  day  there  is 
praise  ascending  to  Almighty  God  for  the  blessings  many  have 
received  through  the  books  you  have  been  enabled  to  send,  and 
also  through  the  encouraging  little  notes  you  write.  I  have  to 
thank  God  for  two  or  three  of  those  little  notes,  and  oh,  how  pre- 
cious they  are !  I  shall  ever  treasure  them,  for  they  have  been 
made  a  means  of  great  blessing  to  my  soul.  May  God's  richest 
blessing  continue  to  rest  upon  you ;  may  you  be  sustained  by 
grace  divine  when  called  upon  to  suffer  and  endure;  if  it  be  in 
accordance  with  God's  will,  may  you  be  relieved  from  pain  alto- 
gether. Perhaps  this  may  never  be  on  this  side  Jordan.  How 
precious  you  must  have  found  those  words,  "  My  grace  is  suffi- 
cient for  thee."  Good  Matthew  Henry  says  that  if  God  is  pleased 
to  lay  a  heavy  burden  upon  us  at  any  time,  and  yet  fits  the  shoul- 
der to  the  burden,  we  certainly  can  have  no  reason  to  complain, 
however  heavy  the  cross  may  be.  Is  not  this  true?  I  pray  that 
all  the  strength  and  grace  you  need  may  be  given  from  on  high, 
supplied  by  a  loving  Father  out  of  His  riches  in  glory  by  Christ 
Jesus." 

To  ministers  who  are  not  quite  so  necessitous  as  those  for  whom 
the  Book  Fund  was  specially  founded,  yet  who  can  ill  spare  the 
published  price  of  the  "  Treasury  of  David,"  or  the  sermons,  I 
offer  these  books  at  a  somewhat  reduced  rate,  and  I  have  much 
satisfaction  in  knowing  that  the  privilege  is  warmly  appreciated. 


MRS.    SPURGEON'S    WORK. 


259 


The  following  letters  are  fair  samples  of  the  spirit  in  which  the 
favor  is  sought,  and  the  warm  gratitude  evoked  by  its  accordance : 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  —  In  the  libraries  of  my  friends  I 
have  very  frequently  perused  that  most  choice  and  savory  work  of 
your  husband,  *  The  Treasury  of  David ;  '  and  if  I  have  not  actu- 
ally incurred  the  guilt  of  breaking  the  tenth  commandment,  I  fear 
I  have  come  near  to  doing  so,  and  from  time  to  time  I  have  been 
looking  how  I  could  contrive  to  purchase  it,  but  have  found  as 
often  that  my  income  has  been  forestalled  by  family  and  other 
claims.  I  have  long  known  that  you  have  been  doing  a  most 
valuable  work  for  the  Master  by  helping  poor  pastors  to  some 
good  books,  but  hitherto  I  have  not  ventured  to  write,  lest  I 
should  be  standing  in  the  way  of  some  brother  more  necessitous 
even  than  myself  This  week,  however,  I  was  in  the  library  of 
one  of  my  brethren,  and  again  looking  over  some  parts  of  the 
'  Treasury,'  the  desire  to  possess  it  for  myself  returned  with  such 
strength  that  I  felt  somewhat  as  I  suppose  a  hungry  ox  would  feel 
tethered  outside,  but  just  in  sight  of,  a  luxuriant  field  of  clover. 
After  ruminating  over  the  matter  again  and  again,  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  I  could  manage  part  of  the  price,  so  I  have  deter- 
mined to  say  to  you  that  I  should  esteem  it  a  great  favor  indeed 
to  receive  a  copy  from  your  hands,  if  I  shall  not  stand  too  much 
in  the  way  of  some  other  poor  brother." 

It  was,  indeed,  a  great  joy  to  open  the  gate  of  the  clover  field. 
May  the  good  brother  "  go  in  and  out  and  find  pasture." 

On  the  same  subject  a  pastor  in  one  of  our  great  Midland  towns 
writes :  — 

"  I  note  in  your  little  report  that  when  an  applicant  is  able  to 
purchase,  books  are  sent  on  the  most  advantageous  terms.  Now 
I  hope  from  time  to  time  to  be  able  to  purchase  a  volume  of  the 
sermons,  whose  true  gospel  ring  is  indeed  music  to  one's  soul. 
Will  you  kindly  jot  down  on  enclosed  post-card  the  price  at  which 
I  might  get  the  sermons  through  your  hands,  so  that  I  may  know 
what  to  lay  by  from  time  to  time,  in  order  to  add  to  my  store?  I 
am  almost  ashamed  to  trouble  you  so  soon  after  receiving  so  much 
from  you,  but  I  am  hungry  for  books,  and  cannot  help  it." 

There  is  also  a  goodly  number  of  workers  for  the  Lord,  —  evan- 


26o  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

gelists,  local  preachers,  and  others,  —  who,  having  no  pastorate, 
are  ineligible  for  the  free  gift  of  the  "  Treasury,"  yet  covet  earn- 
estly this  precious  aid  in  their  work.  Many  of  these  save  up  a 
little  money,  and  sending  it  to  me  by  degrees,  have  in  time  the 
joy  of  receiving  the  longed-for  treasure,  which,  doubtless,  they 
value  none  the  less  for  the  self-denial  which  has  procured  it,  I 
often  regret  that  I  cannot  give  books  to  all  Christian  workers ;  but 
a  strict  boundary  line  is  absolutely  necessary  in  a  work  carried  on, 
not  by  a  society,  but  by  one  pair  of  hands,  and  those  not  over 
strong  or  capable. 

To-day  $iQOO  is  mine  from  the  great  Testimonial  Fund  raised 
last  Christmas ;  $500  is  allotted  to  the  Book  Fund,  and  $500  to 
the  Pastors'  Aid  Society.  My  dear  husband's  kindness  secures 
this  splendid  help  to  my  work,  and  I  bless  God  both  for  him  and 
his  delightful  gift.  If  John  Ploughman's  wife  might  say  here 
what  she  thinks  of  John  in  this  and  all  other  matters,  it  would  be 
an  easy  task  to  fill  these  pages  with  his  praises ;  but  since  such  a 
wifely  eulogy  might  be  deemed  out  of  place,  Mrs.  J.  P.  may  at 
least  record  in  her  little  book  her  hearty  and  appreciative  thanks 
to  the  hundreds  of  true  friends  who  have  lately  done  honor  to  the 
"  Prince  of  her  life,"  ^  and  furnished  him  with  the  means  of  more 
abundantly  blessing  all  the  poor  and  needy  ones  who  look  to  him 
as  their  best  earthly  friend  and  comforter.  If  I  knew  any  one  who 
doubted  the  truth  of  that  Scripture,  "  There  is  that  scattereth  and 
yet  increaseth,"  I  could  bring  no  more  unanswerable  proof  of  its 
veracity  than  is  found  in  the  unselfish  life  and  loving  deeds  of  the 
God-honored  man  I  reverence  as  my  head  and  husband.  I  find  a 
graceful  appropriateness  in  the  gift  of  part  of  this  money  to  Bap- 
tist pastors,  seeing  that  to  one  of  themselves  the  whole  magnificent 
sum  is  offered  as  a  tribute  of  devoted  admiration  and  love.  What  a 
joy  it  will  be  to  use  this  consecrated  gold  in  their  service  !  What 
heavy  burdens  it  will  lift !  What  aching  hearts  will  be  consoled  ! 
What  praise  to  God  will  be  given  by  joyful  lips !  When  I  think 
of  all  it  will  do,  I  wish  it  were  ten  times  as  much  !  I  get  greedy 
for  their  sakes,  —  my  poor,  weary,  toiling  brethren,  —  but  that 
only  lasts  a  moment,  for  indeed  I  am  most  fully  "satisfied  with 
favor  "  on  their  behalf,  both  from  the  Lord  and  from  man. 

1  Name  for  Mr.  Snursjeon  succjestcd  l^v  .1  Welshman. 


Charles  Spurgeon, 
Son  of  Pastor  C.  H.  Spurgkon. 


MRS.    SPURGEON'S   WORK.  261 

I  have  been  very  pleased  during  this  year  to  see  my  work  extend 
among  the  poorly  paid  curates  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  I 
trust  a  great  blessing  will  follow  the  introduction  into  their  libra- 
ries of  such  books  as  the  "  Treasury,"  the  sermons,  and  "  Lectures 
to  my  Students."  These  gifts  are  sought  with  avidity  and  wel- 
comed with  eager  joy,  and  of  all  the  pleasant  letters  which  I 
receive  none  are  more  courteous  in  spirit  or  graceful  in  language 
than  those  penned  by  clergymen  of  the  Established  Church. 

"  Two  years  ago,"  writes  one,  "  you  presented  me  with  the 
*  Treasury  of  David,'  expressing  a  wish  that  it  might  prove  a 
'  treasure '  indeed.  Your  wish  has  been  more  than  gratified,  and 
now  I  have  an  acute  appetite  for  the  whole  of  your  respected  hus- 
band's works.  I  have  the  privilege  of  preaching  the  gospel  five 
times  every  week,  and  if  this  is  to  continue  to  be  a  pleasure  to  me, 
I  must  keep  my  soul  and  mind  well  fed.  Being  still  '  a  poor 
curate,'  I  have  to  supply  my  wants  on  the  lowest  terms,  so  I  write 
to  ask  whether,  in  gratifying  my  ardent  desire,  any  assistance  may 
be  obtained  from  that  source  of  benevolence  which  formerly  sup- 
plied the  '  Treasury  of  David.'  " 

My  readers  will  be  rejoiced  to  learn  that,  with  some  little  help 
from  the  Book  Fund,  this  clergyman  has  now  on  his  shelves  a 
complete  set  of  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  Pulpit,  in  addition 
to  the  "  Treasury  of  David  "  and  some  smaller  works  of  Mr. 
Spurgeon's. 

October  4.  —  Truly  this  has  been  a  "  red-letter  day  "  in  Book- 
Fund  experience.  "  My  mouth  has  been  filled  with  laughter,  and 
my  tongue  with  singing."  My  heart  praises  and  extols  the  good- 
ness of  the  Lord,  and  my  hand  shall  at  once  record  the  mercy 
which,  like  a  blessed  rain  on  a  thirsty  land,  has  so  sweetly  refreshed 
my  spirit.  This  afternoon  a  constant  and  generous  friend  brought 
$500  for  the  Book  Fund.  This  was  cause  for  devout  thankfulness 
and  great  joy,  for  lately  an  unusually  large  number  of  books  has 
been  going  out  week  by  week,  though  funds  have  flowed  in  less 
freely.  But  it  was  not  till  a  few  hours  after  receiving  this  noble 
donation  that  I  saw  fully  the  Lord's  tender  care  and  pitying  love 
in  sending  me  this  help  just  when  He  knew  I  should  most  sorely 
need  it.     By  the  late  post  that  night  came  my  quarterly  account 


262  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

for  books,  and  so  heavy  was  it,  that  in  fear  and  haste  I  turned  to 
my  ledger  to  see  the  available  balance,  and  with  an  emotion  I  shall 
not  easily  forget  I  found  that  but  for  the  gift  of  $500  a  few  hours 
previously  I  should  have  been  $300  in  debt. 

Did  not  the  Father's  care  thus  keep  the  sparrow  from  falling  to 
the  ground?  A  sleepless  night  and  much  distress  of  spirit  would 
have  resulted  from  my  discovery  of  so  serious  a  deficit  in  my 
funds,  but  the  Lord's  watchful  love  prevented  this.  "  Before  I 
called  He  answered,"  and  though  trouble  was  not  very  distant,  He 
had  said,  "  It  shall  not  come  nigh  thee."  O  my  soul,  bless  thou 
the  Lord,  and  forget  not  this  His  loving  "  benefit"  !  A  tumult  of 
joy  and  delight  arose  within  me  as  I  saw  in  this  incident,  not  a 
mere  chance,  or  a  happy  combination  of  circumstances,  but  the 
guiding  and  sustaining  hand  of  the  loving  Lord,  who  had  most 
certainly  arranged  and  ordered  for  me  this  pleasant  way  of  com- 
fort and  relief.  "  I  am  poor  and  needy,  yet  the  Lord  thinketh 
upon  me."  A  fresh  revelation  of  His  wonderful  love  seemed  to 
be  vouchsafed  to  my  soul  by  this  opportune  blessing,  and  a  cheque 
became  "  an  outward  and  visible  sign  of  an  inward  and  spiritual 
grace."  I  hastened  to  my  dear  husband,  that  he  might  share  my 
joy,  and  I  found  in  him  a  willing  listener  to  the  sweet  "  old  story  " 
of  his  Master's  grace  and  power.  Then,  after  a  word  or  two  offer- 
vent  praise  to  God  on  my  behalf,  he  wrote  the  following  letter  to 
the  friend  by  whose  liberal  hand  our  gracious  God  had  sent  this 
notable  deliverance :  — 

"  Dear  Friend,  —  I  should  like  you  to  know  why  you  were 
sent  here  this  afternoon,  and  what  an  angel  of  mercy  you  were  to 
my  dear  wife,  and  so  to  me.  The  Lord  bless  you.  Soon  after 
you  were  gone,  my  wife's  quarter's  bill  for  books  came  in  for 
$1,700,  and  she  had  only  $1,400  apart  from  your  cheque.  Poor 
soul,  she  has  never  spent  more  than  her  income  before,  and  if  you 
had  not  come,  I  fear  it  would  have  crushed  her  to  be  $300  in  debt. 
How  good  of  the  Lord  to  send  you  in  the  nick  of  time !  We 
joined  our  praises  together,  and  we  do  also  very  gratefully  join 
our  prayers  for  you.  God  bless  you,  and  make  up  to  you  your 
generous  gifts  above  all   your  own  desires.      I   could   not  refrain 


MRS.    SPURGEON'S   WORK.  263 

from  telling  you  this :  it  is  one  of  the  sparkling  facts  which  will 
make  happy  memories  to  help  to  stay  our  faith  in  future  trials  if 
they  come.     Again,  God  bless  you.  Yours  heartily, 

C.  H.  Spurgeon. 

As  part  of  the  proceeds  of  his  last  lecture  in  London,  I  have 
the  pleasure  of  receiving  to-day  $125  as  the  generous  and  graceful 
gift  of  Mr.  John  B.  Gough  to  the  Book  Fund.  Such  a  gift  from  such 
a  man  is  precious  and  noteworthy,  but  not  unusual,  as  I  believe 
it  is  the  constant  habit  of  Mr.  Gough  to  bestow  blessings  as  well  as 
to  recommend  them.  Long  as  his  name  has  been  honored  in  our 
household,  and  his  special  work  admired  and  appreciated,  it  was 
not  till  his  recent  visit  to  England  that  we  had  the  happiness  of 
his  personal  acquaintance.  Now  he  has  been  twice  to  see  us 
(once  accompanied  by  his  excellent  wife),  and  a  friendship  has 
been  contracted  between  us  which,  though  interrupted  by  absence 
from  each  other  on  earth,  will  find  its  true  fruition  and  best  enjoy- 
ment in  heaven.  The  hours  we  spent  in  his  company  have  left 
fragrant  memories  not  only  of  pleasant  mirth  at  the  droll  tales  so 
inimitably  told,  but  also  of  sacred  joy  in  sweet  and  goodly  words 
which  "  ministered  grace  unto  the  hearers."  Cannot  my  friends 
imagine  that  it  was  a  rare  treat  to  listen  to  the  converse  of  John 
Ploughman  and  John  Gough? 

No  "  pen  of  a  ready  writer"  was  there  to  record  the  good  things 
they  said,  or  to  immortalize  the  brilliant  "  table  talk  "  which  graced 
each  repast;  but  the  .sweet  communion  which  knit  our  hearts 
together  will  never  be  forgotten  by  us,  and  so  deep  a  flood  of 
enjoyment  came  in  upon  my  usually  quiet  life  that  day,  that  it  will 
for  ever  ripple  pleasantly  upon  the  shores  of  memory.  To  our 
very  dear  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gough,  in  their  far-away  home  in 
the  West,  I  send  loving  greeting;  and  for  this  $125,  which  means 
so  much  joy  and  comfort  for  the  Lord's  poor  servants,  1  give  the 
warmest  thanks  of  a  grateful  heart.  .  .  . 

Two  dear  ladies  brought  me  $250  to  use  in  the  Lord's  work  as 
I  please.  What  bountiful  kindness,  its  preciousness  enhanced  by 
my  necessity !  I  divided  it  between  the  Book  Fund  and  the  Pas- 
tors' Aid,  for  in  these  times  of  universal  pressure  I  can  scarcely 


264  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

confine  my  gifts  to  books  in  those  cases  where  I  know  that,  though 
the  daily  bread  is  sure,  it  is  often  unaccompanied  by  more  sub- 
stantial nourishment.  It  was  only  the  other  day  I  heard  of  a 
minister  whose  last  Christmas  dinner  was  to  have  consisted  of 
a  loaf  and  steak,  because  he  could  not  afford  better  fare ;  and  I 
know  many  whose  most  creditable  fear  of  debt  compels  them  not 
only  to  keep  their  bookshelves  empty,  but  the  cupboard  very 
bare.  One  ceases  to  wonder  at  the  oft-recurring  sickness  of  many 
ministers'  wives,  and  the  extreme  delicacy  of  their  children,  when 
one  remembers  their  many  privations,  their  lack  of  nourishing 
food,  and  their  need  of  suitable  clothing.  "  My  income  barely 
enables  me  to  find  plain  food  and  scanty  clothing  for  my  wife  and 
three  children,"  writes  a  country  Independent  pastor.  "  Frequently 
I  have  saved  a  few  shillings  with  the  view  of  purchasing  a  volume 
of  the  '  Treasury,'  but  a  pair  of  shoes  or  a  little  dress  put  the  book 
aside."  In  this  last  matter  of  clothing  for  pastors'  families  there  is 
very  much  now  being  done  by  kind  friends  for  their  relief.  I  have 
elsewhere  mentioned  the  many  presents  I  receive  for  them,  and 
to-day  (mercies  never  come  singly)  a  large  chest  arrived  from 
Scotland  containing  the  wardrobes  of  two  deceased  gentlemen, 
sent  by  the  desolate  wife  and  mother.  It  has  been  a  somewhat 
sad  work  to  allot  this  valuable  gift  to  seven  needy  pastors,  but 
their  joy  in  receiving  the  good  warm  clothes  will  not  be  damped 
by  any  sorrowful  remembrances  of  departed  friends,  and  I  rejoice 
beforehand  in  their  joy.   .   .   . 

Coming  now  to  the  conclusion  of  these  sadly  irregular  chroni- 
cles, I  should  like  to  promise  —  if  the  Lord  spare  my  life  and 
prosper  the  Book  Fund  —  to  do  better  next  year.  The  "happy 
thought,"  if  it  be  a  Jiappy  one,  of  reporting  this  little  service  in 
"  diary-fashion,"  ought  to  be  more  satisfactorily  carried  out,  and  I 
hope  to  gather  more  discreetly  and  carefully  the  material  to  be 
used  at  the  close  of  the  year  1880.  Experience  has  taught  me 
that  there  is  sure  to  be  a  fulness  of  goodness  and  mercy  to  supply 
the  record ;  but  the  same  teacher  sadly  proves  to  me  that  the 
"recorder"  fails  and  is  at  fault  in  not  keeping  her  "book  of  re- 
membrance "  well  posted  up.  But  what  memory  can  keep  pace 
with  God's  mercies?    or  what   uninspired   pen  can  tell  the  thou- 


MRS.    STURGEON'S   WORK.  265 

sandth  part  of  His  loving-kindnesses?  "  If  I  should  count  them 
they  are  more  in  number  than  the  sand."  Could  I  cull  the  choicest 
flowers  of  language,  and  bind  them  in  one  delightful  bundle  of 
thankfulness,  it  might  be  an  acceptable  offering  of  gratitude  to  the 
dear  friends  who  have  helped  me ;  but  how  can  I  worthily  praise 
and  extol  the  bounty  of  my  gracious,  loving  God?  "Thou  hast 
dealt  well  with  Thy  servant,  O  Lord,  according  to  Thy  Word." 
Blessed  be  Thy  name.  Thou  hast  daily  loaded  me  with  benefits, 
Thy  hand  has  supplied  all  my  need.  Thy  strength  has  been  made 
perfect  in  my  weakness.  Thy  loving  care  has  watched  over  my 
work,  and  "  there  hath  not  failed  one  word  of  all  Thy  good  prom- 
ise" "upon  which  Thou  hast  caused  me  to  hope."  And  what  can 
I  say  more  unto  Thee?  "Is  this  the  manner  of  man,  O  Lord 
God?  "  Oh,  poor  dumb  lips,  that  cannot  speak  His  praise  aright! 
Oh,  faltering  tongue,  that  as  yet  cannot  "  frame  to  pronounce " 
the  syllables  of  heaven's  own  language ! 

"  How  shall  I  praise  Him  ?     Seraphs,  when  they  bring 
The  homage  of  their  lyre, 
Veil  their  bright  face  beneath  their  wing, 
And  tremble  and  retire. 

*'  Lost  in  thy  love,  yet  full  of  humble  trust, 
I  close  the  worthless  lay, 
Bow  down  my  reverent  forehead  in  the  dust, 
And  in  meek  silence  pray." 

Truly  there  are  times  when  silence  is  more  eloquent  than  speech, 
and  we  are  constrained  to  worship  "afar  off"  from  very  awe  of 
His  goodness.  Such  a  season  comes  to  me  now  as  I  sit  ponder- 
ing over  all  the  Lord's  marvellous  loving-kindness ;  and  looking 
back  on  the  great  and  manifold  mercies  of  the  fast-closing  year, 
my  spirit  is  overwhelmed  within  me,  the  weight  of  blessing  seems 
almost  too  much  for  me,  and  I  lay  aside  my  poor  useless  pen  to 
bow  the  knee  before  Him  in  silent  adoration  and  thanksgiving, 
f  I  am  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all  the  mercies,  and  of  all  the 
truth  which  Thou  hast  showed  unto  Thy  servant." 

The  following  pathetic  lines  from  Mr.  Spurgeon  show  how  these 
devoted  servants  of  Christ  toil  on  even  when  compassed  with  many 
infirmities :  — 

34 


266  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

Should  there  be  errors  in  the  notes,  or  in  acknowledgment  of 
goods,  or  in  aught  besides,  it  is  hoped  and  believed  that  the  edi- 
tor's ill-health  will  be  a  sufficient  apology.  We  have  done  our 
best;  but  with  a  pained  and  wearied  brain,  which  is  the  root  of 
our  malady,  we  cannot  but  fail  in  many  ways. 

Mrs.  Spurgeon  has  been  passing  through  a  very  grievous  time 
of  pain  and  weakness,  and  therefore  has  felt  quite  unequal  to 
writing  a  report.  Gladly  would  we  have  undertaken  it  for  her, 
but  we  have  been  laid  aside  also.  The  Book  Fund  is  beginning 
to  be  four  years  old,  and  is  entering,  we  hope,  upon  a  still  more 
useful  existence.  Its  need,  its  urgent  need,  among  poor  ministers 
appears  more  sadly  every  day.  It  is  true  that  pastors  ought  to  be 
sufficiently  paid  to  be  able  to  buy  books  for  themselves,  but  so 
long  as  they  are  not  it  is  a  good  and  needful  work  to  find  them 
brain  food.  A  blessing  has  rested  upon  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  distribu- 
tion of  books,  for  the  recipients  have  written  again  and  again  to 
acknowledge  the  invigoration  and  the  reviving  received  through 
the  volumes.  The  hearts  of  others  have  also  been  stirred  up  to 
think  upon  the  great  evil  of  ministerial  poverty,  and  books  have 
been  spontaneously  given  which  otherwise  would  not  have  filled 
the  pastors'  shelves.  More  money  was  received  last  year,  and 
more  given,  and  the  poor  suffering  worker  had  yet  strength  suffi- 
cient, as  she  hopes  to  have  for  another  year.  It  would  grieve  her 
much  if  friends  supposed  that  the  work  might  slacken  on  account 
of  her  illness.  She  asks  for  continued  remembrance  in  their 
prayers.  .  .  . 

Mrs.  Spurgeon  has  for  some  time  been  largely  occupied  with 
supplying  books  to  clergymen  of  the  Church  of  England  whose 
stipends  are  too  small  to  allow  them  to  purchase  them.  The 
amount  of  kindly  feeling  which  has  been  expressed  is  very 
pleasing,  and  we  regard  this  opportunity  of  spreading  evangelical 
truth  as  a  peculiarly  valuable  one,  which  should  be  largely  used. 
Keeping  watch  at  home  all  alone,  our  beloved  finds  great  solace 
in  the  kindly  words  of  friends  who  send  her  help  for  her  chosen 
life-work.  Its  present  interesting  phase  should  command  the 
prayers  and  sympathies  of  all  our  friends.  .  .  . 

Our  dear  wife's  Report  has  sold  so  well  that  it  has  been  need- 


Thomas  Spurgeon, 
Son  of  Pastor  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


MRS.   SPURGEON'S   WORK.  267 

ful  to  print  a  second  edition.  Many  have  written  to  say  that 
its  perusal  has  been  a  means  of  grace  to  them ;  they  could  not 
have  said  anything  more  cheering.  The  little  book  can  still  be 
had  of  our  publishers  for  sixpence. 

Her  work  in  helping  poor  ministers  is  specially  needful  at  this 
time,  for  the  depression  in  the  agricultural  interest  has  rendered 
it  very  difficult  for  village  churches  to  support  their  ministers. 
Small  salaries  have  to  be  cut  down,  and  many  men  of  God  are  left 
w^ith  incomes  below  starvation  point.  Let  all  be  doubly  generous 
in  this  hour  of  need.  .  .  . 

The  needful  work  of  supplying  ministers  with  books  pro- 
ceeds with  great  regularity,  and  considerable  numbers  of  curates 
and  poor  ministers  in  the  Church  of  England,  together  with 
pastors  of  all  denominations,  apply  for  "  The  Treasury  of  David," 
and  other  works.  Could  our  readers  see  the  letters  of  thanks, 
they  would  know  how  sharp  is  the  book-hunger  which  gnaws 
the  soul  of  many  a  preacher  of  the  Word.  We  have  said 
very  little  of  late  about  this  work  which  is  carried  on  by  our 
beloved.  Only  a  few  friends  have  thought  of  the  Fund  of  late, 
and  yet  hitherto  there  has  been  no  lack ;  the  Fund  personified 
might  almost  say,  "  I  am  poor  and  needy,  yet  the  Lord  thinketh 
upon  me."  Note  the  following  fact,  and  let  the  Lord  be  glorified 
by  the  rehearsal  of  it.  A  friend  of  ours,  who  is  always  a  princely 
giver,  told  us  on  the  night  of  Mr.  Cough's  lecture  that  he  should 
call  at  Nightingale  Lane  next  day.  Knowing  his  great  business 
and  our  own,  we  half  declined  the  offer,  though  we  are  always 
glad  to  see  him ;  but  he  said  he  should  come,  and  come  he  did. 
His  errand  was  to  give  $500  to  the  Book  Fund.  Now,  reader, 
mark  this.  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  quarter's  bill  for  books  came  in  on 
that  very  Saturday  evening,  and  had  not  that  friend  insisted  on 
coming  down  and  bringing  his  $500,  our  dear  one  would  have 
been  $300  in  debt.  She  would  have  been  almost  heart-broken 
had  this  been  the  case,  for  she  had  prayed  for  help  and  expected 
it.  The  Lord  would  not  let  her  have  the  trial,  but  sent  His 
steward  at  the  very  hour,  though  he  knew  nothing  of  the  need. 
We  were  both  filled  with  adoring  thankfulness  for  this  memorable 
interposition.     It  was  not  the  first  time  in  which  we  have  together 


368  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    II.    SrURGEON. 

adored  the  Lord  in  an  amazement  of  gratitude,  nor  will  it  be  the 
last.  Thus  by  one  and  another  the  Lord  has  filled  up  the  reser- 
voir which  supplies  so  many  of  His  poor  ministers  with  refresh- 
ment ;  and  He  will  fill  it  yet  again.  .  .  . 

Mrs.  Spurgeon  wrote  the  following  note  to  her  subscribers. 
During  the  year  she  has  distributed  more  than  seven  thousand 
valuable  works  to  poor  ministers :  — 

My  dear  Friends,  —  The  past  year  has  been  crowned  with 
the  goodness  of  God  to  me  and  to  my  beloved  work,  and,  there- 
fore, I  all  the  more  deeply  regret  that  through  weakness  and 
affliction  I  have  not  as  yet  been  able  to  prepare  a  detailed  account 
of  the  blessings  the  Book  Fund  has  received  and  bestowed.  This 
lack  of  service  on  my  part  will,  I  trust,  be  soon  supplied  by  a  kind 
friend,  and  a  full  report  of  my  work  shall  then  be  laid  before  you. 
Meanwhile,  I  send  forth  this  little  messenger  to  testify  to  the 
unfailing  faithfulness  and  goodness  of  the  Lord  in  strengthening 
me  for  the  service  which  His  love  has  allotted  me. 

Sore  need  have  I  had  for  His  tender,  pitiful  care,  and  He  has 
never  failed  me ;  but,  in  spite  of  almost  constant  ill-health,  He  has 
enabled  me  to  accomplish  even  an  increased  amount  of  work,  and 
has  extended  the  benefits  of  the  Book  Fund  far  and  wide.  To  His 
name  be  the  praises  of  my  heart. 

From  all  parts  of  the  world  I  have  abundant  testimony  to  the 
reviving  and  refreshment  of  spirit  God's  ministers  receive  through 
the  quiet  agency  of  this  book-giving,  and  the  loving  letters  of 
grateful  hearts  are  no  slight  comfort  and  reward  for  service  often 
done  in  weariness  and  pain. 

"  Mr.  Spurgeon's  works  are  crammed  full  of  the  good  old  corn 
of  Canaan :  "  so  writes  a  pastor  laboring  in  Queensland ;  and  I 
count  it  a  high  honor  that  the  "Lord  of  the  harvest"  has  given  me 
charge  of  so  glorious  a  granary,  from  whose  precious  stores  I  can 
scatter  so  widely  both  "seed  for  the  sower  and  bread  for  the 
eater."  My  accounts  show  that  18,693  volumes  have  been  distrib- 
uted during  three  years  of  the  Fund's  existence.  This  is  a  brief, 
bare  statement  of  facts,  and  does  not  reveal  the  joy  and  blessing 
which  lie  beneath  it;   but,  thanks  be  to  God,  I  can  truly  say  that 


MRS.    SPURGEON'S   WORK.  269 

"  the  administration  of  this  service  not  only  suppHeth  the  want 
of  the  saints,  but  is  abundant  also  by  many  thanksgivings  unto 
God." 

My  most  heartfelt  thanks  are  tendered  to  you,  dear  friends,  for 
your  constant  remembrance  of  my  work,  the  loving  interest  you 
have  taken  in  its  welfare,  and  the  generous  help  you  have  given 
to  its  funds. 

Your  gifts  are  received  as  "  from  the  Lord,"  often  coming  as 
special  answers  to  prayer,  and  always  as  tokens  of  His  favor  and 
approval  of  the  work;  and  when  they  liave  thus  enriched  my 
soul,  they  carry  to  the  weary,  toiling  servants  of  the  Master 
substantial  blessings,  divine  luxuries,  the  worth  of  which  only  a 
poor  "  bookless  "  pastor  can  rightly  appreciate. 

With  a  heart  full  of  gratitude  to  the  Lord  and  to  you,  believe 
me,  dear  friends, 

Your  deeply  obliged  servant, 

Susie  Spurgeon. 

Though  barely  six  years  of  age,  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  Book  Fund 
shows  all  the  symptoms  of  vigorous,  healthy  life,  and  among  the 
class  whom  it  seeks  to  benefit,  the  little  institution  has  naturally 
become  one  of  the  most  popular  in  the  country.  The  complete 
catholicity  of  the  superintendent  will  also  command  our  respect; 
for  all  evangelical  ministers  of  the  Word,  whether  in  the  Estab- 
lishment or  out  of  it,  are  eligible  for  grants,  provided  only  that 
their  average  incomes  are  under  $750  a  year.  Upwards  of  seven 
thousand  volumes  have  been  sent  out  in  the  year,  besides  6,262 
single  sermons;  and  while  each  of  the  Nonconformist  bodies  is 
well  represented,  no  less  than  one  hundred  and  thirty  Church  of 
England  clergymen  were  among  the  recipients.  The  revelations 
of  ministerial  indigence  are  sufficiently  saddening;  but  we  are 
glad  to  find  that  Mrs.  Spurgeon  also  sends  money  and  clothes 
to  relieve  not  a  few  urgent  cases  of  a  more  pressing  kind.  The 
"  Report,"  to  the  Christian  mind,  will  be  found  to  be  of  absorbing 
interest;  the  style  is  terse,  and  every  page  is  pervaded  by  that  fine 
sympathy  which  is  characteristic  of  the  writer. 

A  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  writing  to  Mrs.  Spur- 


270  LIFE    AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

geon  for  a  grant  of  books,  says :  "  Your  husband  has,  by  the 
publication  of  a  most  useful  book,  '  Commenting  and  Commenta- 
ries,' done  more  than  a  little  in  forming  my  taste  and  adding  to 
my  desire  for  books.  This  book  was  my  consulting  guide  while 
at  college,  and  has  been  of  great  service  to  me  since  in  using  the 
libraries  of  friends  and  in  making  purchases." 

Mrs.  Spurgeon's  Report  of  her  "  Book  Fund  and  its  Work"  for 
1 88 1  is  a  record  of  practical  Christianity.  The  good  service  that 
she  has  rendered  to  the  Christian  Church,  by  providing  poor 
pastors  with  good  and  helpful  books,  is  in  itself  incalculable. 
During  the  six  years  of  its  existence  the  Fund  has  enabled  her  to 
distribute  41,630  volumes.  The  Pastors'  Aid  Fund  is  another  ad- 
mirable branch  of  this  invalid  lady's  beneficence,  and  though  for 
good  reasons  little  is  said  about  it,  we  can  very  well  understand  the 
good  that  it  accomplishes  in  a  quiet  and  delicate  way.  Not  least 
among  the  many  recommendations  of  this  noble  enterprise  is  the 
catholicity  of  its  scope.  In  days  when  sectarian  rancor  often  runs 
high,  and  there  is  much  division  in  the  Christian  camp,  we  cannot 
be  too  thankful  for  any  agency  that  obliterates  these  dividing  lines 
by  the  overflowing  tide  of  sympathy  and  help. 

When  we  state  that  Mrs.  Spurgeon  is  the  president  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Working  Society,  our  readers  will  readily  understand  how 
a  great  deal  of  information  about  poor  pastors  is  obtained.  Her 
Book  Fund  has  made  her  name  a  household  word  wherever  needy 
ministers  are  to  be  found,  but  that  sweet  ministry  of  love  was  only 
the  natural  supplement  of  this  other  equally  necessary  work  which 
has  been  quietly  carried  on  for  the  last  twelve  years.  It  was  but 
meet  that  she  who  had  been  so  long  at  the  head  of  a  movement 
for  supplying  the  much-needed  '  cloke  '  that  should  keep  out  the 
cold,  or  give  the  pastor  that  respectable  appearance  which  his 
office  demanded,  should  in  due  time  seek  to  furnish  the  'books' 
which  are  as  indispensable  to  those  who  would  '  give  attendance 
to  reading'  as  the  desired  addition  to  his  little  library  in  his  prison 
at  Rome  was  to  the  Apostle  Paul.  Her  long  and  trying  affliction 
has  of  course  prevented  the  president  from  actively  superintend- 
ing the  preparation  and  distribution  of  the  different  parcels,  but 
many  an  applicant  could  tell  that  a  well-directed  hint  from  her 


MRS.    SPURGEON'S   WORK.  271 

first  revealed  to  him  a  channel  through  which  the  wants  of  himself 
and  his  family  might  be  supplied.  Here  is  an  extract  from  one  of 
the  most  recent  letters  before  us :  *  Mrs.  Spurgeon  wrote  to  me 
and  said  you  would  kindly  and  efficiently  help  me  and  the  chil- 
dren.' It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  the  request  for  help 
received  in  such  a  form  as  this  obtained  a  ready  response.  Others 
write  as  follows:  'We  are  very  thankful  to  dear  Mrs.  Spurgeon 
for  mentioning  our  names  to  you.'  '  We  are  unfeignedly  grateful 
to  the  utmost  degree  to  our  dear  friend,  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  for  men- 
tioning our  names.'  'I  feel  truly  grateful  to  Mrs.  Spurgeon  for 
the  kind  sympathy  she  has  shown  towards  me  and  my  family  in 
recommending  our  case  to  your  very  valuable  society.' 

"  Any  one-who  goes  to  the  ladies'  room  at  the  Tabernacle  on 
the  Wednesday  following  the  third  and  fourth  Sundays  in  each 
month  can  see  how  heartily  our  energetic  sisters  devote  their  time 
and  energies  to  the  holy  enterprise  of  ministering  to  the  wants  of 
the  Lord's  poor  servants.  We  have  already  stated  that  their  main 
object  is  to  help  the  families  of  needy  ministers  in  England  by 
sending  them  suitable  parcels  of  clothing ;  but  their  Annual  Report, 
issued  in  May  last,  informs  us  that  they  had  also  assisted  a  few  of 
the  agents  of  the  Tabernacle  Colportage  Association  who  have 
been  ill.  The  gratitude  with  which  their  gifts  were  received,  and 
the  facts  that  came  to  light  about  the  straits  in  which  these  godly 
men  are  often  placed,  induced  the  committee  to  determine  to  let 
them  continue  to  share  in  the  bounty  they  had  to  dispense,  always 
provided,  as  our  legal  friends  would  say,  that  the  claims  of  poor 
pastors  were  satisfied  first.  This  is  what  they  say:  'Those  who 
are  best  acquainted  with  the  colporteurs  and  their  work  know  that 
it  is  a  work  which  involves  much  self-sacrifice,  and  which  certainly 
is  not  overpaid.  While  we  wish  to  help  the  colporteurs,  we  do  not 
intend  to  forget  poor  ministers.  Our  labors  for  them  we  shall  not 
in  the  least  abate.  What  we  ask  is  that  our  friends  will  help  us  in 
this  new  development  of  our  society;  for  without  this  help  is 
given  it  will  be  impossible  for  us  to  render  assistance  to  those 
hard-working  and  useful  servants  of  our  Master,  the  colporteurs. 
We  are  ready  for  increased  labor;  our  hands  are  willing,  our 
hearts  are  willing.     Let  our  friends  come  forward  and  help   us, 


272  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.    H.    SPURGEON. 

and  thus  share  with  us  the'  joy  of  pouring  gladness  into  hearts 
which  otherwise  might  have  been  downcast  and  sad.'  " 

The  accompanying  extracts  from  letters  received  by  the  society 
reveal  what  a  precious  work  it  is  quietly  carrying  on.  A  pastor 
writes :  — 

"  My  income  is  $6  per  week,  with  a  wife  and  four  children. 
Being  placed  in  such  an  isolated  spot,  we  find  the  necessaries  of 
life  very  dear,  clothing  particularly  so,  although  new  garments  do 
not  come  'often  in  our  way,  for  things  have  to  be  turned  and 
altered,  and  it  is  often  a  puzzle  to  me  how  my  dear  wife  contrives 
as  she  does.  My  best  coat  was  purchased  eight  years  since,  so 
that  you  will  think  I  am  not  wasteful." 

On  receipt  of  the  parcel  which  was  sent  to  him,  he  wrote : 
"  The  great  difficulty  now  is  to  know  how  to  thank  you  and 
your  helpers.  The  fact  is  you  ought  to  have  been  here,  for  no 
words  of  mine  can  adequately  express  the  joy  and  gladness  that 
were  expressed  on  my  wife's  face  at  the  sight  of  the  things  you 
had  so  kindly  sent  us.  We  both  join  heartily  to  thank  you  and 
your  co-workers  for  the  new-year's  gift  just  received;  and  if  you 
have  at  all  felt  the  force  of  the  truth  that  it  is  more  blessed  to  give 
than  to  receive,  then  I  must  say  that  you  are  blessed  indeed." 

Another  pastor  writes :  "  I  cannot  tell  you  how  thankful  we 
both  are  to  you  and  to  the  Ladies'  Mission  for  the  very  valuable 
parcel  you  have  sent  us.  Its  contents  both  surprised  and  delighted 
us ;  it  seemed  as  though  you  had  overheard  my  dear  wife  as  she 
had  talked  with  me  concerning  the  many  things  she  absolutely 
needed,  but  saw  no  prospect  of  obtaining.  We  can  scarcely 
realize  that  our  needs  have  been  supplied.  Truly  our  Heavenly 
Father's  hand  is  in  the  matter,  for  He  knew  our  needs." 

Another:  "  On  behalf  of  my  dear  wife  and  myself  I  write  to 
Sciy  that  we  received  your  large  and  valuable  parcel  this  evening. 
It  would  have  done  you  and  the  kind  friends  good  to  have  seen 
the  joy  of  our  children  as,  one  after  another,  the  articles  were 
unfolded  and  displayed.  Everything,  to  use  my  wife's  words,  was 
exactly  what  was  wanted,  and  the  things  you  sent  for  her  have 
filled  her  with  joy  and  thankfulness.  The  Master  will  record  one 
more  act  done  to  His  servants  for  His  sake.     We  can  only  thank 


MRS.    SPURGEON'S   WORK.  273 

you;   He  will  commend  and  reward  you   for  that  which  sprang 
from  love  to  Him." 

The  following  touching  incident  is  from  the  pen  of  Mrs.  Spur- 
geon.  May  "  the  afflicted,  tost  with  tempest,  and  not  comforted  " 
reader  find  relief  and  rest  while  reading  this  sweet  story  of 
imprisoned  music:  — 

A  curious  little  incident  happened  lately  during  a  time  of  pro- 
longed sickness.  At  the  close  of  a  very  dark  and  gloomy  day,  I 
lay  resting  on  my  couch  as  the  deeper  night  drew  on,  and  though 
all  was  bright  within  my  cosey  little  room,  some  of  the  external 
darkness  seemed  to  have  entered  into  my  soul  and  obscured  its 
spiritual  vision.  Vainly  I  tried  to  see  the  Hand  which  I  knew 
held  mine,  and  guided  my  fog-enveloped  feet  along  a  steep  and 
slippery  path  of  suffering.  In  sorrow  of  heart  I  asked,  "Why 
does  my  Lord  thus  deal  with  His  child?  Why  does  He  so  often 
send  sharp  and  bitter  pain  to  visit  me?  Why  does  He  permit 
lingering  weakness  to  hinder  the  sweet  service  I  long  to  render 
to  His  poor  servants?"  These  fretful  questions  were  quickly 
answered,  and  though  in  a  strange  language,  no  interpreter  was 
needed  save  the  conscious  whisper  of  my  own  heart.  For  a  while 
silence  reigned  in  the  little  room,  broken  only  by  the  crackling  of 
the  oak-log  burning  on  the  hearth.  Suddenly  I  heard  a  sweet, 
soft  sound,  a  little  clear,  musical  note,  like  the  tender  trill  of  a 
robin  beneath  my  window.  "What  can  that  be?"  I  said  to  my 
companion,  who  was  dozing  in  the  firelight;  "  surely  no  bird  can 
be  singing  out  there  at  this  time  of  the  year  and  night."  We 
listened,  and  again  heard  the  faint,  plaintive  notes,  so  sweet,  so 
melodious,  yet  mysterious  enough  to  provoke  for  a  moment  our 
undisguised  wonder.  Presently  my  friend  exclaimed,  "  It  comes 
from  the  log  on  the  fire !  "  and  we  soon  ascertained  that  her 
surprised  assertion  was  correct.  The  fire  ivas  letting  loose  the  im- 
prisoned music  from  the  old  oak's  inmost  heart !  Perchance  he  had 
garnered  up  this  song  in  the  days  when  all  went  well  with  him, 
when  birds  twittered  merrily  on  his  branches,  and  the  soft  sunlight 
flecked  his  tender  leaves  with  gold.  But  he  had  grown  old  since 
then,  and  hardened ;    ring  after  ring  of  knotty  growth  had  sealed 


274  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.    H.   SPURGEON. 

up  the  long-forgotten  melody,  until  the  fierce  tongues  of  the 
flames  came  to  consume  his  callousness,  and  the  vehement  heat 
of  the  fire  wrung  from  him  at  once  a  song  and  a  sacrifice.  Ah, 
thought  I,  when  the  fire  of  affliction  draws  songs  of  praise  from 
us,  then  indeed  are  we  purified,  and  our  God  is  glorified !  Per- 
haps some  of  us  are  like  this  old  oak  log,  cold,  hard,  and  insen- 
sible; we  should  give  forth  no  melodious  sounds,  were  it  not  for 
the  fire  which  kindles  round  us,  and  releases  tender  notes  of  trust 
in  Him,  and  cheerful  compliance  with  His  will.  "As  I  mused  the 
fire  burned,"  and  my  soul  found  sweet  comfort  in  the  parable  so 
strangely  set  forth  before  me.  Singing  in  the  fire.  Yes.  God 
helping  us,  if  that  is  the  only  way  to  get  harmony  out  of  these 
hard,  apathetic  hearts,  let  the  furnace  be  heated  seven  times  hotter 
than  before. 

Alas,  dear  soul,  she  has  had  a  furnace  experience  beyond  many. 
But  He  who  led  her  beloved  through  the  shadow  of  death  is  ever 
by  her  side,  and  with  Jesus  near,  the  hottest  fire  has  a  cool  breath 
about  it.  Nobly  has  Mrs.  Spurgeon  borne  her  afflictions  hitherto, 
and  lovingly  does  she  continue  her  ministry  of  comfort  to  others. 
Nor  need  she  falter  while  the  promise  holds  good,  "Fear  not,  for 
I  am  with  thee." 


XXI. 

PITHY    SAYINGS. 


A  GREAT  part  of  our  labor  lies  in  seeking  out  attractive  illustrations,  paraLlcs, 
and  choice  sayings,  by  which  we  may  coax  men  to  attend  to  their  own  interests  ; 
and  even  then  we  fail  unless  a  higher  power  intervenes.  We  would  be  content 
to  preach  didactic  trutli  with  unvarying  solemnity  if  the  multitude  would  but 
hear  us,  but  they  will  not.  What  then  ?  If  the  healing  medicine  is  nauseous 
to  the  child,  we  must  sweeten  the  draught  or  gild  the  pill.  If  our  words  will 
not  run  by  themselves,  we  must  put  them  on  wheels  and  so  set  them  in  motion. 
Our  object  is,  "if  by  any  means  we  may  save  some  :  "  and  since  men  will  not 
believe  without  hearing,  and  will  not  hear  unless  we  make  the  word  pleasant 
and  attractive  to  them,  we  dare  not  do  otherwise  than  indulge  them  in  this 
respect,  and  woo  them  to  instruction  as  children  are  enticed  to  learning  by 
stories  and  pictures.  —  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


PITHY    SAYINGS. 


A  CERTAIN  American  divine,  of  culture  and  unbounded 
liberalism,  went  to  hear  Mr.  Spurgeon.  Immediately  he 
placed  the  doughty  preacher  in  his  crucible,  reduced  him  to 
a  given  quantity,  carefully  analyzed  his  parts,  and  announced  the 
result  to  the  world.  Here  it  is:  "Spurgeon  is  a  man  of  more 
bowels  than  brains."  Thus  the  '  clever  assayer,  with  a  conde- 
scending wave  of  the  hand,  dismissed  the  ignorant  London 
pastor,  with  his  boorish  flock,  to  the  dark  shades  of  oblivion. 

Yet  here  we  are,  with  daring  temerity,  placing  the  dissected  pas- 
tor on  a  pedestal,  to  be  viewed  again  by  the  public  eye.  A 
strange  phenomenon,  this —  that,  after  so  patent  a  proof  of  incapa- 
city and  incapability,  he  continues  to  this  day,  "  witnessing  both  to 
small  and  great,"  apparently  undisturbed  by  the  philosopher's  dis- 
covery. Nor  has  he  even  noticed  our  friend's  experiment,  —  if 
indeed,  he  ever  heard  of  him. 

Like  Father  Taylor,  Mr.  Spurgeon  never  loads  his  musket  to 
shoot  a  mosquito.  A  certain  Dean,  of  nobler  proportions  than 
our  high-art  critic,  did  once  decry  Spurgeon,  and  def)lored  '*  that 
so  much  notice  has  been  taken  of  his  railings."  He  pitied  him 
because  of  "  his  entire  want  of  acquaintance  with  theological  liter- 
ature," and  ignored  him  with  the  plea  that  "  to  hold  a  controversy 
with  him  upon  the  subject  would  be  to  as  little  purpose  as  to 
attempt  to  hold  a  logically  constructed  argument  with  a  child 
unacquainted  with  logical  terms." 

The  doctrines  preached  by  Mr.  Spurgeon  called  for  a  vindica- 
tion, and  the  man  minus  brains  replied:  "  Admitting  the  witness 
of  the  venerable   Dean  to  be  correct,  and  that  the   young  minister 


278  l.IKii   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    II.    SPURGEON. 

is  inexpert  in  logic,  I  am  not  therefore  ashamed,  —  far  otherwise; 
'  I  will  glory  in  my  infirmities,  that  the  power  of  Christ  may  rest 
upon  me  ',  for  '  when  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong.'  Take,  O  ye 
great  ones  of  the  earth,  every  profit  that  can  be  made  out  of  your 
belief  in  my  utter,  total  ignorance,  and  your  own  profound  and  ex- 
tensive learning,  and  then  go  your  ways  and  learn  what  this  mean- 
eth  :  '  Thy  wisdom  and  thy  knowledge,  it  hath  perverted  thee ; 
and  thou  hast  said  in  thine  heart,  I  am,  and  none  else  beside  me. 
Therefore  shall  evil  come  upon  thee ;  thou  shalt  not  know  from 
whence  it  riseth.'  " 

However,  this  was  in  days  gone-by;  and  perhaps  since  then, 
like  Topsy,  Mr.  Spurgeon  has  "  growed." 

But  we  recur  to  the  remark  that  the  London  pastor  has  boivcls. 
That  is  the  expression  of  sympathy,  and  this  power  of  sym- 
pathy was  recognized  by  Paul :  "  Put  on,  holy  and  beloved,  bozvcls 
of  mercies^  We  read  of  our  Lord  having  compassion  on  the 
multitudes.  They  ever  followed  Him  and  testified,  "Never  man 
spake  like  this  man."  No  doubt  Spurgeon  possesses  his  Master's 
spirit,  and  practises  his  Master's  work.  He  has  compassion  on  the 
multitude,  and  gives  them  heavenly  bread  to  eat. 

It  is  a  little  curious  to  observe,  that  the  charge  of  ignorance  has 
been  generally  made  by  men  who  do  not  like  the  positive  truth  he 
preaches.  As  for  brahis,  somehow  he  has  a  way  of  showing 
that  there  are  plums  in  his  pudding.  The  woven  cloth  bespeaks 
a  loom ;  and  he  who  has  been  spinning  wise  and  witty  sayings 
during  a  whole  generation  must  have  something  beside  sawdust 
under  his  scalp. 

If  compliments  were  worthy  of  notice,  Pastor  Spurgeon  can  find 
them  as  thick  as  blackberries.     Here  is  a  specimen. 

Nos.  268,  269,  and  270  of  "The  New  Park  Street  Pulpit  "  are  filled 
with  an  account  of"  the  ceremony  of  laying  the  first  stone  of  the 
new  Tabernacle,"  which  ceremony  was  performed  by  Sir  S.  M. 
Peto.  "  In  the  bottle  which  is  to  be  placed  under  the  stone  we 
have  put  no  money,"  remarked  the  pastor;  "  for  one  good  reason — 
we  have  none  to  spare.  We  have  not  put  newspapers;  because, 
albeit  we  admire  and  love  the  liberty  of  the  press,  yet  that  is  not 
so  immediately   concerned    in   this    edifice.     The   articles   placed 


PITHV    SAYINGS.  279 

under  the  stone  are  simply  these:  the  Bible,  the  Word  of  God;  we 
put  that  as  the  foundation  of  the  Church.  Upon  this  rock  doth 
Christ  build  the  ministration  of  His  truth.  We  know  of  nothing 
else  as  our  standard.  Together  with  this  we  have  put  the  old 
Baptist  Confession  of  Faith,  which  was  signed  in  the  olden  times 
by  Benjamin  Keach,  whose  name  is  in  this  book.  We  put  also 
the  Declaration  of  the  Deacons  which  you  have  just  heard  read, 
printed  on  parchment.  There  is  also  an  edition  of  Dr.  Rippon's 
Hymn-book,  printed  just  before  he  died;  and  then,  in  the  last 
place,  there  is  a  programme  of  this  day's  proceedings." 

One  of  the  speakers  present  at  the  evening  meeting  was  Judge 
Payne,  who,  as  a  matter  of  course,  composed  a  tail-piece,  besides 
indulging  in  some  sensible  wit.  "  Now  what  does  C.  H.  S.  mean?  " 
he  asked,  glancing  at  one  of  the  decorations.  "  Why,  it  means, 
first,  Charles  Haddon  Spurgeon ;  but  I  do  not  mean  that.  C.  H. 
S.  means  a  Clear-Headed  Speaker,  who  is  Clever  at  Handling  Sub- 
jects in  a  Cheerful-Hearted  Style.  He  is  a  Captain  of  the  Hosts  of 
Surrey  ;  he  is  a  Cold-Hating  Spirit;  he  has  Chapel-Heating 
Skill;  he  is  a  Catholic  Humbug-Smasher;  he  is  a  Care-Hushing 
Soother;  he  is  a  Child-Helping  Strengthener ;  he  is  a  Christ-Hon- 
oring Soldier;   and  he  is  a  Christ-Honored  Servant." 

To  which  we  may  add  that  in  disposition  he  is  Cheerful,  Hope- 
ful, Sanguine;  is  a  Careful,  Humble  Shepherd;  a  Conscientious, 
Honest  Scripturist;   and  a  Capital  Heresy-Squelcher. 

It  is  not  unusual  for  young  men  in  their  sophomore  experience 
to  speak  disparagingly  of  their  superiors,  and  like  chattering  mon- 
keys be  proclaiming  themselves.  Even  college  parrots  have  prated 
about  Mr.  Spurgeon's  lack  of  mental  equipment 

On  a  particular  occasion,  when  Dr.  Binney  was  visiting  one  of 
the  Independent  colleges  for  the  purpose  of  giving  a  lecture,  he 
happened  to  overhear  some  silly  remarks  concerning  Mr.  Spurgccni 
from  certain  of  the  students.  The  lecturer  asked  them  to  be  quiet, 
to  listen  to  what  he  himself  had  to  say  on  the  matter,  and  addressed 
them  in  some  such  words  as  these:  "  I  myself  have  enjoyed  some 
amount  of  popularity;  I  have  always  been  able  to  draw  together  a 
congregation ;  but  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  we  see  a  young 
man  —  be  he  who  he  may,  and  conu  whence  he  will  —  who,  at 


2So  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    II.   Sl'URGEON. 

twenty-four  hours'  notice,  can  command  a  congregation  of  twenty 
thousand  people.  Now,  I  have  never  been  able  to  do  that,  and  1 
never  knew  of  any  one  else  who  could  do  it."  Mr.  Spurgeon  could 
do  greater  things  than  all  the  efforts  of  the  students  combined,  and 
on  that  account  there  was  wisdom  in  remaining  quiet,  and  with- 
holding railing  words. 

What  Mr.  Spurgeon  reads  he  assimilates,  and  reproduces  with 
consummate  skill,  a  sure  proof  of  great  mental  ability. 

"One  by  one  he  has  taken  up  various  sciences,  —  astronomy, 
chemistry,  zoology,  ornithology,  and  others,  —  not  merely  with  a 
desire  for  information,  but  to  supply  his  mind  with  new  images. 
The  movements  of  the  planets  and  their  disturbing  influences,  the 
mysteries  of  chemical  affinity,  the  structure  of  animals  and  birds, 
with  reference  to  the  conditions  of  their  existence,  habits,  and  id- 
iosyncrasies, have  all  delighted  "Sir.  Spurgeon  by  turns,  and  have 
all  helped  to  enrich  his  fund  of  illustration.  .  .  .  He  is  a  strong 
believer  in  the  theory  of  ventilating  the  mind,  —  of  pouring  a 
stream  of  new  ideas  constantly  through  it,  —  to  preserv^e  its  fresh- 
ness., and  prevent  the  stagnation  not  unfrequently  brought  about 
in  a  strong  intellect  engrossed  in  one  pursuit." 

But  know,  O  Reader,  he  cares  little  for  the  sneering  critic,  and 
human  praise  weighs  light  with  him.  This  is  very  odd,  and  like 
that  other  characteristic  of  his,  which  allows  all  abuse  and  attack 
to  sail  by  unchallenged.  "  Not  even  the  statement  in  print  that  he 
had  poisoned  his  own  mother  would  provoke  the  shadow  of  a 
reply."  Only  indeed  when  the  claims  of  the  Gospel  demanded 
it,  or  the  good  of  the  Church  could  be  advanced  thereby,  has  he 
troubled  himself  about  any  reference  to  his  personal  character. 
Blessed  is  every  one  who  knoweth  the  secret  that  "  all  things  work 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God."  And  thrice-blessed 
they  who  refrain  their  lips  from  evil-speaking,  and  give  no  offence 
by  a  tongue  "  set  on  fire  of  hell,"  or  a  "  pen  dipped  in  gall." 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  printed  "Sermons"  at  the  close  of  the  year 
(1883)  will  number  1800;  his  books  on  the  Psalms  cover  2,744 
pages,  while  "  The  Sword  and  the  Trowel "  has  reached  Vol.  xx. 
All  this,  besides  a  host  of  books,  pamphlets,  tracts,  essays,  and 
prefaces,  issued  by  t'lis  man  of  infinitesimal  brain,  who  is  on  the 
morning  side  of  fifty. 


PITHY    SAYINGS.  2Sr 

That  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  alive  to  what  is  going  on  around  him 
cannot  be  questioned.  He  comments  as  he  pleases,  yet  his  silent 
contempt  of  learned  fools  reveals  his  penetration  and  wisdom. 
He  has  little  time  and  few  words  for  certain  philosophies  and  their 
advocates.  A  discriminating  remark,  like  the  following,  and  such 
subjects  are  peremptorily  dismissed.  "  To  our  feeble  apprehen- 
sion, modern  philosophy  is  just  now  in  the  primitive  stage  of  pro- 
toplasm, a  mass  of  jelly ;  and  its  loose  ideas  will  probably  take  as 
many  aeons  to  develop  into  solid  facts  as  the  interval  they  compute 
between  chaos  and  cosmos."  On  reviewing  a  pamphlet  against 
the  American  champion  of  free  thought,  he  remarks  :  "  We  neither 
care  for  Ingersoll,  nor  the  answer  to  him.  There  is  enough  to  do 
in  England  with  cutting  up  our  own  brambles ;  nine  out  of  ten  of 
our  people  know  nothing  of  this  American  brier,  and  there  is  no 
need  they  should." 

Hear  him  on  vivisection ;  how  repugnant  to  his  compassionate 
heart  is  this  cruel  science.  "  Our  heart  bleeds,  and  our  soul 
writhes  in  horror,  as  we  read  descriptions  of  the  unutterable  cruel- 
ties practised  upon  animals,  not  by  the  old-fashioned  demons  of 
the  olden  times,  but  by  educated  mortals  in  black  coats.  And 
now  to  think  that  all  this  hideous  business  should  be  proved  to 
be  useless  !  All  this  cutting  and  torturing  to  go  for  nothing !  O 
Lord,  how  long!  We  shall  have  a  round  of  letters  from  doctors, 
but  we  cannot  help  it.  If  ever  we  go  mad  it  will  assuredly  be 
through  reading  such  papers  as  come  from  the  pens  of  certain 
M.D.'s,  who  dare  to  watch  the  agonies  of  rabbits,  dogs,  and  other 
animals.  Can  it  be?  Is  it  not  all  a  dream?  Did  men  who  had 
mothers  and  wives  perpetrate  those  accursed  deeds?" 

Here  comes  something  of  another  sort.  It  is  not  by  simple 
silence  or  guesses  at  random  that  his  views  on  sin's  awful  pen- 
alty are  known.  On  this  important  question  he  is  outspoken  and 
emphatic. 

Mr.  Edward  White,  the  earnest  and  able  advocate  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Conditional  Immortality,  says :  "  No  one  yields  to  me  in 
hearty  admiration  and  affection  for  the  Rev.  Charles  Spurgeon ; 
but  his  refusal  to  listen  to  the  doctrine  of  Life  in  Christ  has  formed 
a  more  serious  obstacle  to  its  popular  diffusion  than  that  of  any 
other  living  man  during  the  last  twenty  years." 


283  LIFE   AND    LABORS    OF   C.    li.    SPURGEON, 

To  wliich  Mr.   Spurgeon  replies  :  — 

"  We  are  fully  prepared  to  take  all  the  responsibility  of  the  con- 
duct ascribed  to  us,  and  only  trust  that  we  may  have  power  to  be 
a  more  serious  obstacle  still.  With  the  most  profound  regard  for 
Mr.  White,  and  something  more  tender  than  regard,  we  cannot 
help  mingling  our  regret  that  he  should  be  teaching  such  mischie- 
vous doctrine,  and  that  so  many  should  follow  him  in  it." 

He  has  been  handled  severely  by  certain  ecclesiastics  for  refus- 
ing the  prefix  "  Rev."  Having  received  a  letter  addressed  "  To 
the  Very  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,"  he  replied: 

"  I  very  much  demur  to  the  commencement,  '  To  the  Very  Rev- 
erend C.  H.  Spurgeon,'  for  no  reverence  is  due  to  me.  Romaine 
used  to  say  that  it  was  very  astonishing  to  observe  how  many 
Reverend,  Right  Reverend,  and  Very  Reverend  sinners  there  were 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  Assuredly  rcc'frcnd  and  sinner  make 
a  curious  combination,  and  as  I  know  that  I  am  the  second,  I 
repudiate  the  first.  To  me  it  is  surprising  that  such  a  flatter- 
ing title  should  have  been  in\ented,  and  more  amazing  still  that 
good  men  should  be  found  who  are  angry  if  this  title  be  not  duly 
given   to  them," 

Our  American  fondness  for  titles  readily  confers  degrees  on  him. 
But  thus  he  dashes  the  D.D.'s  behind  him  :  — 

"  Many  times  we  meet  in  American  newspapers  with  our  own 
name  adorned  or  disfigured  with  a  doctor's  degree.  In  a  periodi- 
cal we  see  month  after  month  an  extract  from 

The  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  D.D. 

"  We  like  the  prefix  quite  as  well  as  the  a/fi.r;  that  is  to  say,  we 
detest  them  equally.  Robert  Robinson  wrote  in  his  journal : '  Won- 
dered how  any  man  could  be  so  silly  as  to  call  me  Reverend.' 
Shall  we  not  all  wonder,  in  some  more  rational  condition  of  our 
brains,  at  a  great  many  things  which  we  now  admire?  " 

In  cutting  irony  and  bold  outspokenness  he  declaims  against 
falsity  in  the  ministry :  — 

"  Mrs.  Partington  uttered  more  of  the  truth  than  she  thought 
when  she  said :  *  Dear  me,  nothing  don't  do  me  so  much  good 
as  to  go  to  church   Sunday  morning,  and   hear  a  precious  minister 


riTIIY    SAVINGS. 


'^3 


dispense  with  the  gospel !  '  Yes,  dear  soul,  that  is  exactly  what 
some  of  them  do ;  they  give  us  anything  and  everything  but  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation,  and  then  they  wonder  that  their  chapels 
become  empty.  Yet  it  does  not  do  to  say  as  much,  or  you  will 
have  a  hornet's  nest  about  your  ears.  Of  course  they  preach  gos- 
pel, that  is  to  say  a  gospel  if  not  the  gospel.  What  is  the  differ- 
ence? Only  the  indefinite  for  the  definite  article,  only  sand  in- 
stead of  rock,  only  opinion  in  the  place  of  truth. 

"  The  worst  of  it  is  that  hearers  now-a-days  put  up  with  it. 
There  seems  to  be  little  left  in  the  land  of  the  discriminating  spirit. 
Men  tolerate  error  in  their  ministers,  grumbling  at  first  and  con- 
senting to  it  afterwards.  Many  do  not  know  chalk  from  cheese  in 
these  times ;  and  so  long  as  the  language  is  musical  and  the  ideas 
are  pretty,  their  preacher  may  teach  anything  short  of  atheism, 
and  they  will  drink  it  in.  What  a  clapping  a  man  gets  at  a  public 
meeting  if  he  will  only  harp  on  the  string  of  liberality,  and  say  that 
we  are  all  alike,  and  that  our  views  are  only  different  aspects  of 
the  same  truth  ;  black  is  a  shade  of  white,  and  white  a  milder  tone 
of  black  !  In  times  gone-by,  a  few  sermons  without  the  gospel  in 
them  would  have  brought  down  a  storm  about  his  reverence's 
head ;  but  now  he  is  admired  as  a  man  of  fresh  thought,  and  takes 
leave  to  make  up  his  theology  as  he  goes  along.  No  one  chal- 
lenges him  ;  or  if  a  bold  brother  does  so,  he  is  called  a  bigot,  and 
snuffed  out. 

"  Surely  this  state  of  things  cannot  last.  Some  one  will  bear  his 
protest  and  create  a  stir,  or  else  the  whole  thing  will  rot  into  con- 
tempt. If  there  be  a  gospel  let  us  have  it,  and  nothing  else. 
There  are  not  two  gospels ;  which  is  the  genuine  article?  This 
we  demand.  This  we  would  have  not  now  and  then,  but  always,  as 
the  standing  dish,  the  daily  provision  of  the  House  of  the  Lord. 
If  any  man  shall  withhold  the  truth,  or  give  us  the  counterfeit  of  it, 
he  shall  answer  for  it  to  his  God  ;  for  by  trifling  in  this  matter  the 
souls  of  men  are  placed  in  jeopardy,  and  the  Kingdom  of  Christ 
is  hindered. 

"  Blessed  is  he  who  dispenses  the  gospel,  but  cursed  is  he  that 
dispenses  with  it." 

Professional  ministers,  who  care  little  for  their  flocks,  having  their 


2S4  I-IFK   AND    LABORS    t)F    C.    II.    SPURGEUX. 

eye  on  "  Number  one,"  and  who  make  the  hearts  of  the  King's 
children  sad,  are  often  reprimanded  by  this  London  Pastor. 
Surely  such  as  are  described  in  this  extract  merit  the  honest  in- 
dignation of  every  true  man  :  — 

"  Here  is  an  account  of  a  pretty  little  fix  for  a  cargo  of  passen- 
gers by  a  mail-coach.  The  anecdote  may  be  found  in  Anthony 
Trollope's  Editor's  Notes,  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  literary 
adventure  of  Mrs.  Brumby  : — 'There  is,  however,  nothing  more 
difficult  to  achieve  than  the  expulsion  of  a  woman  who  is  unwilling 
to  quit  the  place  she  occupies.  We  remember  to  have  seen  a  lady 
take  possession  of  a  seat  in  a  mail-coach  to  which  she  was  not  en- 
titled, and  which  had  been  booked  and  paid  for  by  another  person. 
The  agent  for  the  coaching-business  desired  her  with  many 
threats  to  descend,  but  she  simply  replied  that  the  journey  to  her 
was  a  matter  of  such  moment  that  she  felt  herself  called  upon  to 
keep  her  place.  The  agent  sent  the  coachman  to  pull  her  out. 
The  coachman  threatened  with  his  hands  as  well  as  with  his  words, 
and  then  set  the  guard  at  her.  The  guard  attacked  her  with  in- 
flamed visage,  and  fearful  words  about  Her  Majesty's  mails,  and 
then  he  set  the  ostlers  at  her.  We  thought  the  ostlers  were  going 
to  handle  her  roughly  ;  but  it  ended  by  their  scratching  their  heads, 
and  by  a  declaration  on  the  part  of  one  of  them  that  she  was  "  the 
rummest  go  he  'd  ever  seen."  She  was  a  woman,  and  they 
couldn't  touch  her.  A  policeman  was  called  upon  for  assistance, 
who  offered  to  lock  her  up,  but  he  could  only  do  so  if  allowed  to 
lock  up  the  whole  coach  as  well.  It  was  ended  by  the  production 
of  another  coach,  by  the  exchange  of  the  luggage  and  passengers, 
by  a  delay  of  two  hours,  and  an  embarrassing  possession  of  the 
original  vehicle  by  the  lady.'  We  give  the  above  because  it  has  its 
parallel  in  certain  ministers  who  cannot  be  induced  to  move, 
although  everybody  is  eager  to  see  them  gone.  One  by  one, 
deacons,  subscribers,  and  friends  withdraw;  but  the  ministerial  old 
ladies  stick  to  the  empty  coach,  as  if  it  were  part  and  parcel  of 
themselves,  as  much  as  its  shell  is  an  integral  portion  of  the  snail. 
Hence  the  new  chapel  which  springs  up,  and  makes  two  churches 
where  one  would  have  been  quite  enough,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
adhesiveness  of  an  individual.     It  is  a  great  sorrow  that  churches 


PITHY    SAYINGS.  2S5 

should  be  ruined  because  worthy  men  cannot  see  that  the  time  is 
come  for  a  change.  But  what  is  the  use  of  our  writing  this?  We' 
shall  only  put  removing  into  the  head  of  some  brother  who  ought 
to  stay  where  he  is,  while  those  whom  it  behooves  to  move  will  stick 
like  limpets." 

Every  editor  has  his  share  of  worry  from  Poetic  Effusionists. 
It  is  not  reasonable  that  the  editor  of  "  The  Sword  and  the 
Trowel  "  should  escape.  But  he  seems  equal  to  the  occasion,  and 
mercifully  waves  his  red  flag  of  warning :  — 

"  The  late  James  T.  Fields,  while  an  active  partner  in  the  firm  of 
Ticknor  and  Fields,  was  waited  upon  by  a  young  sugar-merchant 
who  had  poetic  aspirations.  The  mercantile  man  complained  that 
his  manuscript  poems  had  been  rejected  by  the  firm,  and  he  wanted 
to  know  the  reason  why,  inasmuch  as  all  of  his  friends  had  heard 
the  verses  read,  and  unanimously  declared  them  to  be  accessions 
to  American  literature.  '  Our  reader  decides  that,'  said  Mr.  Fields, 
in  his  blandest  tones.  '  Then  I  would  like  to  see  the  reader.'  Al- 
ways the  personification  of  amiability  himself,  the  publisher  took 
the  merchant  upstairs  to  the  reader.  That  mighty  personage  sat 
at  a  desk  heaped  high  with  manuscripts ;  he  carefully  read  a  few 
pages  of  each  package,  then  dropped  it  into  a  basket  at  his  side. 
Occasionally  he  became  more  than  ordinarily  interested ;  in  that 
case  he  placed  the  package  inside  his  desk.  '  Why,  he  goes 
through  'em  just  as  I  sample  sugar !  '  exclaimed  the  would-be  poet 
in  amazement.  '  That's  because  he's  familiar  with  literary  wares 
as  you  are  with  sugar,'  rejoined  Mr.  Fields.  '  I  'm  satisfied,  let  us 
go,'  said  the  merchant.  They  went;  and  the  disappointed  bard 
gave  up  verse-making,  but  he  made  a  large  fortune  in  sugar. 

"  We  cut  this  from  the  '  Chicago  Standard.'  It  is  a  revelation 
of  the  horrors  of  our  own  editorial  chamber;  our  waste-paper  bas- 
ket is  always  in  full  use,  and  it  has  a  singular  tendency  to 
devour  rhymes  which  writers  call  stanzas.  Poetical  effusions 
are  for  the  most  part  prosy  delusions.  Good  poetry  charms  us, 
but  limping  verses  worry  us,  attd  we  are  often  worried.  Let  true 
poets  sing  all  day  and  all  night,  but  let  pretenders  hush. 
How  glad  we  should  be  if  this  paragraph  would  wean  some  minor 
poet    from    rhyming,  and    inspire   him  with    love  to    his    drapery, 


286  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.    II.    SPURGEON. 

grocery,  carpentry,  or  bakery !  The  retail  trade  is  far  more  useful 
than  wholesale  poetizing.  Guessing  at  the  dates  of  prophecy, 
and  making  poor  verses,  are  two  of  those  unprofitable  devices 
which  we  rank  with  getting  blood  out  of  gate-posts  and  ex- 
tracting sugar  from  bitter  aloes.  We  mean  this  scrap  to  act 
as  a  warning.  TRESPASSERS  BEWARE!  A  WASTE-BASKET  IS 
KEPT   ON   THESE   PREMISES." 

The  rain  of  poesy  evidently  continues  to  fall,  and  the  good 
man  fears  the  shower.  With  bellows  pointed  towards  the  clouds 
he  again  discourses :  — 

"  Our  table  groans  with  Cowpers  and  Tennysons  in  an  embry- 
onic condition. 

"  A  San  Francisco  paper,  having  been  driven  desperate  by  vol- 
untary poetical  contributors,  sounds  this  note  of  warning:  'We 
don't  know  exactly  how  newspapers  were  conducted  at  that  distant 
period,  but  during  some  recent  excavations  in  Assyria  a  poem  on 
the  Silver  Moon  was  dug  up.  It  was  engraved  on  a  tile,  and 
close  beside  it  were  lying  a  large  battered  club  and  part  of  a  hu- 
man skull.     You  may  draw  your  own  conclusions,' 

"We  are  led  to  quote  this  as  a  warning  to  the  many  small  poets 
who  send  books  of  verses  for  review.  Happily  in  our  case  no  club 
is  kept  on  the  premises,  and  we  are  most  gentle  in  temper ;  but, 
really,  we  are  tried  up  to  the  boiling-point  by  the  poetic  coals 
which  are  heaped  upon  us.  Still,  Job  is  our  patron  saint,  and  we 
are  resolved  to  endure  unto  the  end.  If  any  verse-maker  does 
not  find  his  poem,  or  her  poem,  mentioned  in  these  notices,  it  is 
because  we  do  not  like  to  cause  pain  by  saying  what  we  think 
about  the  precious  compositions.  Please  do  not  write  to  say  that 
your  poetry  must  have  been  overlooked ;  for  the  fact  is  we  have 
looked  it  over,  and  think  it  the  wisest  course  to  be  silent.  Perhaps 
the  work  is  too  sublime,  too  elevated  in  thought,  too  superb  in 
diction,  for  our  grovelling  taste.  Pray  think  so,  or  think  anything 
else,  so  long  as  you  are  happy. 

"  For  the  most  part  these  minor  poets  are  our  affliction ;  and  if 
they  would  be  so  good  as  to  take  offence,  and  never  send  us 
another  specimen  of  their  wares,  we  would  bless  them  in  our 
heart  of  hearts.     Dear  good  souls  that  they  are,  we  cannot  bear  to 


PITIIV   SAYINGS.  287 

criticise  their  productions  according  to  justice;  and  yet  we  must 
do  so  if  we  speak  upon  them  at  all,  for  we  never  wittingly  entice 
our  readers  into  the  purchase  of  a  book  which  is  not  worth  buying." 

On  Mr.  Spurgeon's  trials  we  cannot  here  enlarge,  only  to  add 
that,  in  common  with  other  public  men,  he  shares  in  the  vexations 
of  curious  visitors,  and  appeals  from  various  sources  for  a  speech, 
a  lecture,  a  sermon,  or  a  subscription.  In  order  to  shield  himself 
he  mildly  rejoins  :  — 

"  It  is  probably  a  waste  of  effort  to  ask  again  that  we  may  be 
spared  the  pain  of  refusing  applications  for  sermons,  addresses, 
lectures,  &c.,  which  it  is  quite  out  of  our  power  to  grant;  but  we 
will  repeat  the  substance  of  what  we  said  in  the  magazine  not 
many  months  ago.  Our  own  legitimate  work  has  grown  so  enor- 
mously that  it  is  as  much  as  we  can  possibly  accomplish  without 
being  laid  aside ;  and  we  have  lately  proved  once  more  that  it  is 
the  extra,  outside  services  that  bring  about  such  sad  breakdowns 
as  the  one  we  have  recently  experienced.  If,  therefore,  there  are 
chapels  or  bazaars  to  be  opened,  anniversaries  to  be  celebrated, 
debts  to  be  removed,  tea-meetings  to  be  held,  schools  to  be  built, 
or  blue-ribbon  missions  to  be  inaugurated,  and  the  question  is 
put.  Shall  we  ask  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  come?  we  beg  beforehand  to 
furnish  the  answer  —  Don't!  Most  gladly  would  we  serve  all  our 
brethren  to  the  utmost,  if  health  permitted ;  but  repeated  warnings 
convince  us  that  the  wisest  course  for  us  is  to  use  the  strength 
given  to  us  for  the  work  which  rightly  claims  our  first  attention, 
and  leave  all  other  efforts  to  those  who  have  been  entrusted  by 
God  with  greater  physical  force.  It  is  a  great  sorrow  to  be  shut 
up  to  this,  but  what  else  can  we  do?  " 

We  do  not  wonder  that  he  seeks  to  ward  off  inane  curiosity- 
seekers,  and  troublesome  querists  who  have  sent  many  good  men 
to  a  premature  grave.     Hear  his  bugle-blast:  — 

"Turner,  the  artist,  said  to  one  who  interrupted  him  with  a 
question,  '  There !  you  have  made  me  lose  fifty  guineas  !  '  Sir 
Walter  Scott  says  in  his  diary :  '  Various  visitors  began  to  drop  in. 
I  was  sick  of  these  interruptions.  God  send  me  more  leisure,  and 
fewer  friends  to  peck  it  away  by  teaspoonfuls.'  Others  besides 
Sir  Walter  have  had  to  breathe  this  prayer.     People  call  on  a  well- 


283  LIFE    AND    LAUORS    OF   C.    H.    SPURGLUX. 

known  minister  out  of  the  idlest  curiosity,  and  invent  the  most 
perverse  excuses  for  dragging  him  away  from  his  work.  One 
would  think  we  were  wild  beasts,  to  be  stared  at.  Just  as  a  ser- 
mon is  shaping  itself,  in  comes  a  pasteboard  from  an  old  lady  who 
has  nothing  on  earth  to  do  but  to  call  round  on  everybody  she 
knows,  and  rob  them  of  their  time,  —  wretched  thief  that  she  is. 
We  have  seen  her ;  and  lo  !  another  knock.  No  message  can  be 
sent  in,  the  party  must  see  the  minister  himself,  as  his  business 
is  strictly  private;  that  means  begging.  Here's  another,  whose 
pretended  errand  is  to  ask  if  we  knew  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jones,  of  LIw- 
wfh,  for  he  was  her  mother's  uncle's  cousin  by  marriage.  Why 
should  we  be  thus  at  every  mortal's  beck  and  call,  and  have  neither 
space  for  meditation,  nor  time  for  devotion?  People  do  not  call 
on  doctors  or  lawyers  at  this  rate,  and  our  time  is  quite  as  precious 
as  theirs.  We  cannot  protect  ourselves  by  fees,  and  yet  if  we  do 
not  see  every  one,  there  will  be  such  an  outcry.  All  we  can  say  is 
—  they  must  cry,  for  we  cannot  neglect  our  Master's  business  to 
play  lackey  to  everybody  who  is  moved  by  the  powers  of  darkness 
to  call  us  away  from  the  Word  of  God  and  prayer." 

In  handling  gospel  themes,  and  discoursing  on  the  Bible  and 
Christian  experience,  we  find  Mr.  Spurgeon  most  at  home.  He  is 
a  born  preacher,  in  whom  is  found  a  pastor's  heart.  The  brilliant 
thought,  the  polished  sentence,  the  silver  speech,  the  tongue  of  fire, 
do  not  make  the  preacher.  Bowels  of  compassion,  love  of  souls, 
faith  in  the  message  taken  from  the  Book,  an  humble  yet  assured 
confidence  in  the  Spirit  of  God  kindling  all  other  natural  and  ac- 
quired gifts,  are  the  great  essentials.  Spurgeon's  splendid  gifts  are 
forgotten  in  his  faculty  of  comforting  human  souls.  He  discourses 
on  the  sublime  with  personal  exultation,  and  others  learn  to  rejoice 
in  his  joy.  Divine  things  are  his  chiefest  study,  Bible  doctrines 
his  great  delight.  His  trite  and  homely  sayings  are  swallowed  up 
in  deeper  depths,  and  he  is  known,  loved,  and  honored  as  a  preacher 
of  righteousness.  The  reality  of  Christ  to  his  soul,  as  his  Saviour 
and  Lord,  is  the  impelling  motive  of  his  Hfe ;  therefore  to  him  all 
sciences,  all  philosophies,  all  laws,  are  subservient  to  Christ.  And 
that  theory  which  leads  not  to  Christ  and  submits  not  to  Him 
who  is  Lord  of  all,  is  a  pirate  in  the  eyes  of  Charles  Spurgeon. 


PITHY    SAYINGS.  289 

The  Bible  view  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is  his  view;  and  for  the  glory  of 
the  Son  of  God  will  he  battle  to  his  dying  day.  For  his  royal  Mas- 
ter he  bears  many  a  cross,  and  shrinks  not  from  the  shame.  His 
Words  for  Jesus  have  the  ring  of  current  coin,  with  heaven's  stamp 
upon  them.  They  are  words  of  life,  and  leap  out  of  a  loyal  heart. 
We  heartily  commend  the  following  Sermonettes  from  his  eloquent 
lips:  — 

On  Cross-Bearing. 

What  an  honorable  position  was  that  of  Simon  the  Cyrenian,  to 
be  cross-bearer  to  Jesus  Christ !  We  could  almost  weep  that  we 
were  not  there  that  we  might  have  had  the  honor  of  carrying 
Christ's  cross  for  Him.  But  we  need  not  weep,  for  we  shall  have 
His  cross  to  carry  if  we  are  His  people.  There  are  no  crown- 
wearers  in  heaven  who  were  not  cross-bearers  here  below.  There 
shall  be  none  among  the  throng  of  the  glorified  who  had  not  their 
cross  on  earth.  Hast  thou  a  cross,  believer?  Shoulder  it  man- 
fully !  Up  with  it !  Go  along  thy  journey  with  unshrinking 
footsteps  and  a  rejoicing  heart,  knowing  that  since  it  is  Christ's 
cross  it  must  be  an  honor  to  carry  it;  and  that  while  you  are 
bearing  it  you  are  in  blessed  company,  for  you  zxq  following  Hint. 

Christ  "  Altogether  Lovely.'''' 

In  calling  the  Lord  Jesus  "  altogether  lovely,"  the  Church  as- 
serts that  she  sees  nothing  in  Him  which  she  does  not  admire. 
The  world  may  rail  at  His  cross  and  call  it  shameful ;  to  her  it  is 
the  very  centre  and  soul  of  glory.  A  proud  and  scornful  nation 
might  reject  their  King  because  of  His  manger-cradle  and  peasant- 
garb,  but  to  her  eye  the  Prince  is  glorious  in  this  poor  apparel. 
He  is  never  without  beauty  to  her;  never  is  His  visage  marred,  or 
His  glory  stained.  She  presses  His  pierced  feet  to  her  bosom, 
and  looks  upon  their  wounds  as  jewels.  Fools  stand  by  His  cross 
and  find  full  many  a  theme  for  jest  and  scorn:  she  discovers 
nothing  but  solemn  reason  for  reverent  adoration  and  unbounded 
love.  Viewing  Him  in  every  office,  position,  and  relationship,  shtr 
cannot  discover  a  flaw;  in  fact,  the  thought  of  imperfection  is  ban- 
ished faraway.     She  knows  too  well  His  perfect  Godhead  and  His 


290  LIFE   AND    LABORS    (iF   C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Spotless  manhood,  to  offer  a  moment's  shelter  to  the  thoUs^ht  of  a 
blemish  in  His  immaculate  person  ;  she  abominates  every  teaching 
that  debases  Him;  she  spurns  the  most  gorgeous  drapery  that 
would  obscure  His  beauteous  features ;  yea,  so  jealous  is  she  of 
His  honor  that  she  will  hear  no  spirit  which  doth  not  witness 
to  His  praise.  A  hint  against  His  undefiled  conception  or  His 
unsullied  purity  would  stir  her  soul  to  holy  wrath,  and  speedy 
would  be  her  execration,  and  relentless  her  execution  of  the 
heresy.  Nothing  has  ever  aroused  the  ire  of  the  Church  so  fully 
as  a  word  against  her  Head,  To  all  true  believers  this  is  high 
treason,  and  an  offence  which  cannot  be  treated  lightly.  Jesus  is 
without  a  single  blot  or  blemish,  "  altogether  lovely." 

Untiring  Delight. 

Who  ever  called  the  sea  monotonous?  Even  to  the  mariner, 
travelling  over  it  as  he  does,  sometimes  by  the  year  together,  there' 
is  always  a  freshness  in  the  undulation  of  the  waves,  the  whiteness 
of  the  foam  of  the  breaker,  the  curl  of  the  crested  billow,  and  the 
frolicsome  pursuit  of  every  wave  by  its  long  train  of  brothers. 
Which  of  us  has  ever  complained  that  the  sun  gave  us  but  little 
variety?  What  though  at  morn  he  yoke  the  same  steeds,  and 
flash  from  his  car  the  same  golden  glory,  climb  with  dull  uniform- 
ity the  summit  of  the  skies,  then  drive  his  chariot  downward, 
and  bid  his  flaming  coursers  steep  their  burning  fetlocks  in  the 
western  deep?  Or  who  among  us  would  complain  loathingly  of 
the  bread  which  we  eat,  that  it  palls  upon  the  sense  of  taste?  We 
eat  it  to-day,  to-morrow,  the  next  day ;  we  have  eaten  it  for  years 
which  are  passed;  still  the  one  unvarying  food  is  served  upon  the 
table,  and  bread  remains  the  staff  of  life.  Translate  these  earthly 
experiences  into  heavenly  mysteries.  If  Christ  is  your  food  and 
your  spiritual  bread ;  if  Christ  is  your  sun,  your  heavenly  light;  if 
Christ  is  the  sea  of  love  in  which  your  passions  swim,  and  all  your 
joys  are  found,  it  is  not  possible  that  you,  as  Christian  men,  should 
complain  of  monotony  in  Him,  "  He  is  the  same  yesterday,  to- 
day, and  forever;  "  and  yet  He  has  the  "  dew  of  His  youth."  He 
is  like  the  manna  in  the  golden  pot,  which  was  always  the  same; 
but  He  is  also  like  the  manna  which  came  down  from  heaven, 


PITHY   SAYINGS.  291 

every  morning  new.  He  is  as  the  rod  of  Moses,  which  was  dry,  and 
changed  not  its  shape ;  but  He  is  also  to  us  as  the  rod  of  Aaron, 
which  buds  and  blossoms,  and  brings  forth  almonds. 

The  Fulness  of  C/irisf. 

At  our  very  best  we  are  strangers  to  much  of  the  incomparable 
sweetness  of  Christ.  We  shall  never  exhaust  His  goodness  by  our 
praise;  for  He  is  ever  so  fresh,  and  has  so  much  of  the  dew  of  His 
youth,  that  every  day  He  has  a  new  song  to  sing.  We  shall  find 
Him  a  new  Christ  every  day  of  our  lives,  and  yet  He  is  ever  the 
same;  His  surpassing  excellence  and  unexhausted  fulness  thus 
constantly  renew  our  love.  O  Jesus  !  none  can  guess  how  great 
is  the  least  of  Thine  attributes,  or  how  rich  the  poorest  of  Thy 
gifts. 

Ferns  and  Roses. 

Some  saints  are  constitutionally  depressed  and  sad  ;  they  are 
like  certain  lovely  ferns,  which  grow  best  under  a  constant  drip. 
Well,  well,  the  Lord  will  gather  these  beautiful  ferns  of  the  shade 
as  well  as  the  roses  of  the  sun  ;  they  shall  share  His  notice  as 
much  as  the  blazing  sunflowers,  and  the  saddest  shall  rejoice  with 
the  gladdest.  You  that  sigh  more  than  you  sing,  you  that  would 
but  cannot,  you  that  have  a  great  heart  for  holiness,  but  feel 
beaten  back  in  your  struggles,  the  Lord  shall  give  you  His  love, 
His  grace,  His  favor,  as  surely  as  He  gives  it  to  those  who  can  do 
great  things  in  His  name.  Certain  of  you  have  but  a  scant  expe- 
rience of  the  higher  joys  and  deeper  insights  of  the  Kingdom; 
and  yet,  if  true  to  your  Lord,  your  infirmities  shall  not  be  reck- 
oned as  iniquities.  If  lawfully  detained  from  the  field  of  active 
labor  this  statute  stands  fast  forever,  for  you  as  well  as  for  others, 
"  As  his  part  is  that  goeth  down  to  the  battle,  so  shall  his  part  be 
that  tarrieth  by  the  stuff;  they  shall  part  alike." 


292  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.   H.   SPURGEON. 


THE   HOLY  GHOST  IS   HERE. 

The  Holy  Ghost  is  here, 
Where  saints  in  prayer  agree  ; 
As  Jesu's  parting  gift,  He  's  near 
Each  pleading  company. 

Not  far  away  is  He, 
To  be  by  prayer  brought  nigh, 
But  here  in  present  majesty, 
As  in  His  courts  on  high. 

He  dwells  within  our  soul, 
An  ever-welcome  Guest : 
He  reigns  with  absolute  control 
As  Monarch  in  the  breast. 

Our  bodies  are  His  shrine, 
And  He  th'  indwelling  Lord. 
All  hail,  thou  Comforter  divine. 
Be  evermore  adored ! 

Obedient  to  Thy  will. 
We  wait  to  feel  Thy  power! 
O  Lord  of  life,  our  hopes  fulfil, 
And  bless  this  hallowed  hour  ! 


C.    H.    v'>FURGEON. 


XXII. 

INCREASING   USEFULNESS. 


The  Christian's  sympathy  should  ever  be  of  the  widest  character,  because  he 
serves  a  God  of  infinite  love.  When  the  precious  stone  of  love  is  thrown  by 
grace  into  the  crystal  pool  of  a  renewed  heart,  it  stirs  the  transparent  life-floods 
into  ever-widening  circles  of  sympathy :  the  first  ring  has  no  very  wide  circum- 
ference—  we  love  our  household  ;  "for  he  who  careth  not  for  his  own  household 
is  worse  than  a  heathen  man."  But  mark  the  next  concentric  ring  —  we  love 
the  household  of  faith  :  "  We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life, 
because  we  love  the  brethren."  Look  once  more,  for  the  ever-widening  ring- 
has  reached  the  very  limit  of  the  lake,  and  included  all  in  its  area,  for  "  suppli- 
cations, prayers,  intercessions,  and  giving  of  thanks  are  to  be  made  for  all  men." 
A  follower  of  Jesus  means  a  friend  of  man.  A  Christian  is  a  philanthropist  by 
profession,  and  generous  by  force  of  grace ;  wide  as  the  reign  of  sorrow  is  the 
stretch  of  his  love,  and  where  he  cannot  help  he  pities  still.  —  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


INCREASING  USEFULNESS. 


THE  multifarious  work  under  the  care  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spur- 
geon  is  ever  widening;  the  cloud  like  a  man's  hand  spreads 
everywhere  and  pours  its  refreshing  rain  on  all  lands.  During  a 
recent  visit  to  the  Tabernacle,  the  College,  and  the  Orphanage  we 
were  again  eye-witnesses  of  the  working  of  these  famous  institu- 
tions. Nor  were  we  less  interested  in  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  special 
ministry  of  love,  ^  who  kindly  explained  to  us  her  manner  of  book- 
keeping, which  also  revealed  her  spirit  of  book-i^wiu^: 

Personal  interviews  with  these  great  souls,  and  visits  to  their 
hospitable  home,  enable  us  to  speak  of  that  we  do  know,  and  tes- 
tify of  that  we  have  seen.  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  still  foremost  in  every 
good  work,  the  true  friend  of  all  real  reform. 

The  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  identified  with  so  many  benevolent 
enterprises  for  many  years,  regretting  his  enforced  absence  from 
one  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  annual  school-meetings,  in  his  apologetic 
letter  refers  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  and  his  work  in  the  most  unqualified 
approval.     This  is  the  warm  word  from  this  truly  noble-man. 

24  Grosvenor  Square,  W. 
October  13. 
Dear  Kirk, —  If  you  have  an  opportunity,  pray  read  this  letter 
to  the  meeting  to  be  held  at  Mr.  Spurgeon's  Tabernacle  on  Mon- 
day, 1 6th.  I  am  much  grieved  that  I  am  unable  to  be  present. 
My  attendance  at  the  Quarter  Sessions  for  the  County  of  Dorset 
is  required  on  the  following  day;  and  it  is  an  official  duty  that  I 
cannot  well  set  aside.  I  am  grieved;  because  there  is  no  man  in 
the  country  whose  opinion  and  support  in  such  matters   I   prize 


296  I>IFE   AND    LABORS    OF  C.    II.    SPURGEON. 

more  highly  than  those  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Spurgeon.  It  would 
t;ive  me  singular  pleasure,  after  nearly  forty  years  of  work  in  the 
Ragged-school  cause,  to  have  the  testimony  and  counsel  of  so 
valuable  a  man.  Few  men  have  preached  so  much,  and  so  well ; 
and  few  ever  have  combined  so  practically  their  words  and  their 
actions.  I  deeply  admire  and  love  him,  because  I  do  not  believe 
that  there  lives  anywhere  a  more  sincere  and  simple  servant  of 
our  blessed  Lord.  Great  talents  have  been  rightly  used :  and, 
under  God's  grace,  have  led  to  great  issues. 

Yours  truly, 

Shaftesbury. 

While  theorizers  of  reform  are  airing  their  nothings,  and  students 
of  philosophy  are  chasing  shadows,  this  great,  generous.  Christian 
man  preaches  the  gospel  of  certainties,  feeds  the  hungry,  clothes 
the  naked,  shelters  the  orphan,  comforts  the  widow,  educates  the 
ignorant,  encourages  the  ministry,  and  stimulates  colporteurs, 
evangelists,  missionaries,  and  churches,  by  voice  and  pen  and  godly 
example. 

The  church,  over  whom  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  him  over- 
seer, flourishes  like  the  green  palm-tree.  Monthly  additions  swell 
its  membership.  The  hand  of  the  Lord  is  upon  His  servant,  and 
many  are  led  from  sin  to  holiness.  Thousands  still  hang  breath- 
lessly on  his  lips,  and  the  skilful  voice  uttereth  no  uncertain 
sound. 

The  weekly  printed  sermons  migrate  to  many  lands.  Trans- 
lations of  them  into  foreign  tongues  become  more  numerous. 
Reports  of  their  usefulness  come  from  distant  fields.  Re-printed, 
re-read,  and  re-preached,  they  carry  the  light  of  life  to  the  ends 
of  the  earth. 

A  Baptist  minister  writes  to  him  as  follows :  "  You  ought  to 
be  a  happy  man.  When  in  Scotland,  some  time  ago,  I  got  lost  in 
a  Glen-something.  The  folk  there  had  never  heard  of  the  late 
lamented  Beaconsfield ;  '  happy  is  the  people  that  is  in  such  a 
case ! '  They  had  no  notion  of  Gladstone ;  but  you  should  have 
seen  them  wake  up  when  I  mentioned  your  name.  They  had  a  sort 
of  knowledge  of  that  name,  for  thc}-  read  your  sermons,  and  fetched 


INCREASING    USEFULXESS.  297 

a  lot  out  to  show  me  that  they  did  so.  1  assure  you,  I  never  saw 
any  man's  works  with  such  signs  of  use  upon  them.  There  was  no 
kirk  in  the  glen,  so  on  Sundays  they  got  together  and  had  a  ser- 
vice, the  scholar  of  the  place  reading  the  sermon.  One  very  old 
man  said  he  '  wad  shoost  gang  on  his  twa  honds  and  knees  a'  the 
way  to  Glasguh  to  get  a  sight  o'  ye.'  I  doubt  if  he  could  have 
done  half  a  mile  any  way,  but  there  was  a  look  in  his  eye  that  you 
would  have  been  comforted  to  see." 

In  his  magazine  Mr.  Spurgeon  writes:  "A  Christian  man,  who 
used  to  attend  our  services  at  the  Surrey  Music  Hall,  recently  felt 
moved  to  read  the  sermons  on  the  green  of  the  village  where  he 
lives,  and  in  the  adjoining  town.  With  the  help  of  a  (ew  friends 
he  has  conducted  a  full  service  at  each  place  on  Sunday  afternoons 
and  evenings.  In  the  village  he  has  gathered  from  200  to  300 
people  together,  and  in  the  town  his  congregations  have  ranged 
from  400  or  500  up  to  900  or  1,000.  He  says  that  the  people 
have  been  very  attentive,  and  that  from  the  many  encouraging 
expressions  he  has  received,  he  is  sure  God  is  blessing  the  work. 
His  great  regret  is  that  he  did  not  commence  the  effort  before. 
When  the  weather  gets  too  cold  for  open-air  services  he  hopes  to 
secure  a  large  building  in  which  to  continue  the  reading  of  the 
sermons  through  the  winter.  Are  there  not  many  other  places 
where  those  who  have  been  blessed  by  the  reading  of  the  sermons 
might  with  great  advantage  to  many  people  carry  on  similar 
services?  " 

Another  illustration  of  the  usefulness  of  his  printed  sermons  is 
from  his  own  pen. 

*'  A  friend  in  Dorset,  who  reads  our  sermons  at  the  village  ser- 
vices which  he  conducts,  writes  that  recently  the  Lord  was  pleased 
to  bless  the  word  to  a  young  man,  who  is  now  rejoicing  in  his 
Saviour.  The  sermon  read  on  that  occasion  was,  '  Vanities  and 
Verities'  (No.  1,379).  He  also  adds:  'Last  Sunday  evening  I  was 
in  another  village,  and  two  of  God's  children  came  to  me,  after  the 
service,  to  say  how  much  the  Word  was  blessed  to  their  souls.  One 
old  saint  especially  remarked  that  she  did  not  know  when  she  had 
been  so  lifted  up.  The  subject  was,  *  For  Whom  is  the  Gospel 
Meant?'   (No.    1,345).       So  you   see,   my  dear  sir,   that  God   is 


39S  LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

pleased  to  bless  the  Word,  not  only  as  it  falls  from  your  lips,  but 
years  after,  when  it  is  read  by  other  people.'  " 

He  who  has  sown  with  liberal  hand  the  true  grain  is  gathering 
now  from  divers  countries  many  golden  sheaves. 

The  College  progresses  favorably.  New  students  are  being  sent 
forth  throughout  Europe,  to  Asia,  to  Africa,  to  America,  infused 
with  the  spirit  of  the  president,  —  nay  rather,  with  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord,  —  achieving  conquests  in  the  gospel  everywhere. 

We  subjoin  a  letter  to  Mr.  Spurgeon,  which  speaks  loudly  for 
him  and  the  college  now  so  thoroughly  established. 

Dear  Brother, —  A  friend  having  put  into  my  hands  the  May 
number  of  your  excellent  magazine,  the  "  Remarks  by  the  Rev. 
George  Rogers,"  on  your  college,  caught  my  eye,  and  I  read  the 
page  with  intense  interest.  It  somewhat  lifted  off  a  burden  which 
had  been  weighing  heavily  on  my  heart  and  conscience  for  some 
little  time,  as  it  testified  that  one  college  in  London,  at  least,  in- 
tended to  teach  faithfully  the  foundation-truths  of  the  gospel  of 
God;  and  "not  to  introduce  any  modification  of  its  course  of  stud- 
ies,  to  suit  what  are  called  the  demands  of  tJie  age'.' 

A  fortnight  or  three  weeks  ago  one  of  our  foremost  religious 
journals  sounded  a  flourish  of  trumpets,  because  there  had  been 
afforded  "  a  happy  indication  that  the  days  of  bigotry  were  draw- 
ing to  an  end."  This  referred  to  a  meeting  for  discussion,  held  in 
one  of  our  metropolitan  denominational  colleges,  and  presided 
over  by  the  leading  and  most  prominent  minister  of  the  Unitarian 
body  in  London —  a  man  of  splendid  talents,  most  fascinating  elo- 
quence, great  learning,  and  the  highest  social  character.  His 
writings  are  considered,  from  an  intellectual  and  literary  stand- 
point, as  of  the  greatest  excellence.  Had  he  been  an  obscure,  ig- 
norant, uninfluential  person,  the  danger  would  not  be  so  imminent. 
Mr.  Rogers  says  of  your  college  "  that  it  adheres  to  the  Puritanic 
in  distinction  from  Germanic  theology ;  "  this  is,  in  the  estimation 
of  many,  its  honor  and  glory;  but  the  students  in  the  college  re- 
ferred to  are  led  to  fraternize  with  the  most  influential  teacher  of 
Unitarianism,  and  recommended  to  read  his  books !  What  is 
this  but  leading  our  future  ministers  into  temptation?     It  is  teach- 


INCREASING    USEFULNESS. 


599 


ing  them  to  break  down  the  barriers  which  now  separate  the 
behevers  in  Christ's  Godhead  from  those  who  esteem  him  as  07ily 
a  man,  —  true,  the  ideal  man,  the  hoHest,  wisest,  highest  man 
among  men,  but  still  a  maiiy  —  thereby  making  us,  who  worship 
him  as  "God  over  all  "  idolaters. 

The  Unitarian  also  denies  that  fundamental  doctrine  of  the 
cross,  "  He  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  and  raised  again  for  our 
justification"  —  the  atonement  offered  for  our  sins  by  the  God- 
man.  Are  our  students  for  the  ministry  to  be  taught  that  these 
two  foundation-truths  of  God's  Word  are  of  so  little  importance 
that  those  who  persistently  oppose  them  may  be  bidden  God- 
speed ?  Through  evil  report  and  through  good  report,  I  would  a 
thousand  times  say  "  No!'' 

Had  I  a  thousand  pounds  at  my  command,  I  would  cheerfully, 
notwithstanding  my  different  view  from  yours  of  baptism,  hand  it 
over  to  the  treasurer  of  your  college,  for  in  the  words  of  patriarch 
Rogers,  "  Its  work  is  not  done,  but  rather  only  begun." 

Yours  in  gospel  bonds, 

A  Congregational  Minister. 

The  Orplia7iage,  and  other  institutions  originated  and  directed  by 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  brain  and  heart,  are  also  flourishing. 

The  Book  Fund  and  its  work,  with  the  Pastor's  Aid  Society, 
are  the  channels  through  which  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  good-will 
carries  blessing  to  body  and  mind.  Nor  can  this  work  be  over- 
estimated. 

The  books  furnish  poor  preachers  with  brain- food,  check  the 
tendency  towards  z/«gospel  theology,  and  encourage  evangelical 
religion  throughout  the  land. 

Though  a  hard-working,  constantly  employed  man,  in  the  walks 
of  literature  of  the  most  important  kind,  Mr.  Spurgeon  neither 
frets  nor  fumes  like  the  late  Carlyle.  The  crowing  of  the  cock  or 
baying  of  the  hound  calls  forth  no  anathemas  from  his  lips. 
Poor  Carlyle !  he  saw  the  wrong  side  of  things,  with  "  a  jaundiced 
eye;"  and  the  "man  of  genius"  kept  his  suffering  wife  in  constant 
mental  torture  with  his  unhappy  and  uncertain  temper.  How 
different  with  this  other  man  of  genius,  into  whose  heart  has  come 


300 


LIFE  AND   LABORS   OF   C.   H.    SPURGEON. 


the  sweet  peace  of  Christ  through  an  intclhgcnt  faith,  and  whose 
soul  is  kept  calm  amid  many  a  storm.  The  furnace  of  suffering 
has  refined  him,  and  long  acqaintance  with  pain  makes  him  tender 
and  patient  toward  others.  And  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  brave  lady,  writes 
as  one  who  also  knows  the  secret  of  quiet  confidence,  having  her 
dwelling-place  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty.  We  have 
wished  that  the  tried  wife  of  the  Chelsea  Sage  had  given  us  to 
know  that  she  too  heard  the  hush  of  the  great  Christ  upon  her 
ruffled  spirit.  Surely  then  her  letters  would  betray  less  of  poig- 
nant grief  and  bitter  disappointment.  Herein  doth  lie  the  peace 
of  the  worthy  inmates  of  Westw^ood,  that  they  know  the  Lord,  and 
are  known  of  Him.  • 

An  extract  from  Mrs.  Spurgeon's  pen  will  have  its  influence  for 
good  upon  our  readers:  — 

"  Yesterday  deserves  to  be  noted  as  a  dies  non  ;  for  that  good 
gift  of  God,  of  which  Solomon  says,  *  Truly  the  light  is  sweet,  and 
a  pleasant  thing  it  is  for  the  eyes  to  behold  the  sun,'  was  blotted 
out  and  obscured  by  an  almost  Egyptian  darkness  which  fell  upon 
us  for  long  and  wearisome  hours.  At  3.30  r.  AL  midnight  had  ta- 
ken the  place  of  '  the  perfect  day,'  and  spread  her  sable  wings 
over  the  reluctant  earth  prematurely.  From  the  high  tower  at 
Westwood,  nothing  could  be  seen  all  around  but  black,  lower- 
ing masses  of  dense  darkness,  which  hung  like  funeral  palls  from 
the  sky,  and  now  and  again  lifted  their  fearful  folds  only  to  reveal 
a  deeper  and  denser  gloom  beyond.  Here  and  there  the  glimmer 
of  a  near  gaslight  could  be  discerned ;  but  not  a  ray  of  Heaven's 
sweet  beams  pierced  through  the  dreadful  overshadowing,  and 
a  stillness  more  awesome  than  that  of  a  real  night  hushed  all 
familiar  sounds.  As  hour  after  hour  passed  by,  no  enlighten- 
ment was  vouchsafed  us,  nor  could  we  tell  when  true  night  came 
to  dispossess  the  rival  darkness  of  the  sceptre  it  had  so  strangely 
usurped. 

"Into  all  this  dismal  murkiness  came  two  letters  from  Mentone, 
telling  of  a  placid  sea,  warm  breezes,  and  clear,  bright  skies,  — 

'  Curtains  of  azure,  and  crystal  wall, 
And  dome  of  sunshine  hi<rh  over  all '  — 


INCREASING    USEFULNESS.  3or 

letters  so  full  of  joy,  and  good  spirits,  and  glad  delight,  that  for  a 
moment  the  unbidden  tears  would  gather,  from  the  sheer  longing 
I  had  to  be  in  the  sunshine  too  !  But  when  the  shutters  were 
closed,  the  curtains  drawn,  and  the  dreary  scene  without  ex- 
cluded, I  found  I  was  in  the  land  of  Goshen  still,  and  had  '  light  in 
my  dwelling  ;"  for,  like  a  star  —  better  seen  from  the  depths  of  a 
well  than  from  higher  ground  —  shone  the  conspicuous  mercy  that 
my  beloved  was  spared  this  doleful  experience.  I  knew  the  fearful 
darkness  was  not  likely  to  stretch  its  hideous  arms  so  far  as  the  fair 
shores  of  the  Riviera,  and  I  blessed  God  for  the  comfortable  cer- 
tainty that  over  there  the  beauty  and  the  splendor  of  an  unclouded 
heaven  were  doing  their  sweet  restful  work  on  a  tired  heart  and 
brain.  So  my  gloom  was  dispelled  by  the  light  of  my  husband's 
happiness ;  for  from  the  South  land  the  sunbeams,  imprisoned  in  his 
precious  letters,  travelled  a  thousand  miles  to  cheer  me,  and  by 
their  gladsome  message  turned  my  night  into  day. 

"I  wonder  whether  this  is  a  faint  picture  of  the  comfort  where- 
with God  sometimes  consoles  his  bereaved  children,  by  enabling 
them  to  realize  the  unspeakable  blessedness  of  those  who  have 
gone  before.  Temporary  separations  by  distance  are  but  the 
foreshadowings  of  a  sterner  parting,  which,  sooner  or  later,  must 
divide  us  from  those  whose  love  seems  to  be  our  very  life. 
Happy  they  who  can  look  beyond  the  grim  darkness  of  such  a 
sorrow,  to  the  unsullied  light  and  bliss  which  the  hope  of  eternal 
reunion  affords." 

As  a  matter  of  historical  interest,  Mr.  Spurgeon's  description  of 
the  family  reunion  is  worthy  of  record.  We  hope  it  will  incite  the 
prayer  that  joy,  prosperity,  and  usefulness  may  be  the  portion  of 
each  member  of  this  interesting  and  benevolent  household. 

"  It  may  not  be  thought  unworthy  of  mention  here  that  on  Mon- 
day, May  14,  our  honored  FATHER  and  MOTHER  were  spared  to 
celebrate  their  Golden  Wedding-day  with  us  at  Westwood.  All 
their  children  and  grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren  were 
present,  with  the  exception  of  our  beloved  son  Thomas,  and  the 
company  consisted  of  thirty-two  persons  in  all.  Of  this  household 
seven  are  preachers  of  the  gospel.  Very  gracious  has  the  Lord 
been  to  us  as  a  family,  for  from  a  remote  ancestry  the  fear  of  God 


yj2  LIFE  AND    LABORS   OF  C.   H.    Sl'URGEOX. 

has  ruled  the  house,  and  a  blessing  has  rested  upon  it  because  of 
the  Ark  of  the  Lord.  The  past  was  reviewed  with  praise,  the  pres- 
ent enjoyed  in  happy  unity  of  love,  and  the  future  expected  with 
hope.  Our  own  dear  departed  grandfather,  so  long  an  honored 
winner  of  souls,  used  to  rejoice  in  five  of  us  as  ministers  of  Christ; 
but  now  '  we  are  seven,'  and  there  are  others  among  us  who  occa- 
sionally bear  witness  for  the  truth  in  public.  May  all  our  friends 
have  a  like  blessing;  and  may  young  people  commencing  life  be 
wise  enough  to  perceive  that  family  piety  and  domestic  happi- 
ness must  go  together:  let  them  not  expect  the  first  without  the 
second." 


XXIII. 

ASLEEP  IN  JESUS. 


Now,  beloved  friends,  if  any  of  you  are  in  great  difficulty  and  trouble, 
tempted  to  do  wrong,  nay,  pressed  to  do  it,  and  if  you  do  what  is  right 
it  looks  as  if  you  will  be  great  losers  and  great  sufferers,  believe  this  : 
God  can  deliver  you.  He  can  prevent  your  having  to  suffer  what  you 
suppose  you  may ;  and  if  He  does  not  prevent  that,  He  can  help  you  to 
bear  it,  and  in  a  short  time  He  can  turn  all  your  losses  into  gains,  all  your 
sufferings  into  happiness.  He  can  make  the  worst  thing  that  can  hap- 
pen to  you  to  be  the  very  best  thing  that  ever  did  happen  to  you.  If  you 
are  serving  God,  you  are  serving  an  Omnipotent  Being ;  and  that  Om- 
nipotent Being  will  not  leave  you  in  time  of  difficulty,  but  He  will  come 
to  your  rescue.  The  Lord  has  helped  us  in  the  past.  He  is  helping  us 
in  the  present,  and  we  believe  He  will  help  us  all  the  way  through.  — 
C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


ASLEEP   IN   JESUS. 


i^^HARLES  SPURGEON'S  ministry  on  earth  has  ended,  but 
^^-^  its  results  continue.  The  streams  of  influence  he  set  in 
motion  move  onward  in  their  ceaseless  flow.  While  time  shall 
last,  the  echo  of  his  voice  will  be  heard.  How  fittingly  the  ancient 
couplet  applies  to  the  late  Pastor  of  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  : 

"  .So  prompt  to  teach  and  preach  and  jjray  and  praise, 
His  labor  had  no  end  but  with  his  days." 

If  we  measure  the  years  of  Charles  Spurgeon  by  the  work  he 
accomplished,  he  lived,  twice  over,  a  centenarian.  He  preached 
sermons  to  millions  of  people,  for  they  were  printed  in  many  lan- 
guages ;  he  wrote  books  which  came  teeming  from  the  press  with 
amazing  rapidity ;  he  founded  and  maintained  institutions  which 
were  world-wide  in  their  influence,  and  he  gave  direction  to  num- 
berless movements  of  moral  and  spiritual  worth.  Nor  do  we  hesi- 
tate to  record  that  there  are  few  preachers  of  our  day  who  preach 
the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in  its  simplicity,  which  is  a  chief  charm 
of  the  Divine  message,  who  have  not  directly  or  indirectly  been 
happily  influenced  by  the  great  life  which  has  ended  its  earthly 
ministry.  He  was  the  first  of  his  age  to  bring  the  Gospel  out  of 
mysticism  and  dulness  and  burdensome  technicalities  until  it  took 
on  new  meaning.  And  steadily  he  pursued  the  noble  object  of 
giving  to  the  masses  and  the  classes  the  doctrines  of  Scripture  in 
their  purity  and  utility.  Other  pulpits  caught  the  knack ;  theo- 
logical seminaries  recognized  its  power  ;  evangelists  sprang  up  on 
every  hand,  and  a  revival  of  Gospel  preaching  with  primitive  sim- 
plicity swept  around  the  world.     From  start  to  finish,  Spurgeon 


306  LIFE   AND    LABORS   OF   C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

ran  his  course  well.  He  lived  for  others.  His  last  moments, 
under  great  weakness  of  body,  were  employed  in  writing  to 
orphans,  in  planning  a  day  for  universal  prayer  concerning  the 
prevailing  sickness  and  its  accompanying  sorrow,  and  in  other 
labors  for  the  good  of  mankind.  Tiie  world  has  lost  a  useful  man  ; 
the  church  universal  will  miss  a  willing  helper  ;  the  London  Tab- 
ernacle laments  a  faithful  pastor,  a  sympathizing  brother,  a  genu- 
ine friend.  The  loss  to  his  own  immediate  family  is  too  sacred  a 
theme  for  public  remark.  The  sympathy  of  thousands  are  with 
them  in  this  hour  of  their  deep  sorrow.  They  are  encompassed 
by  a  circle  of  world-wide  prayer. 

Pastor  Charles  Spurgeon  lived  an  exceedingly  busy  life.  When 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  Lord  he  girded  on  the  habit  of  a 
husbandman  with  the  armor  of  a  soldier.  He  sowed  gospel  seed 
with  liberal  hand,  while  wielding  the  sword  with  an  energy  born 
of  a  zealous  spirit  to  defend  the  truth  of  God.  As  a  man  of  peace, 
he  preferred  building  to  battling,  yet  he  never  shrank  from  attack- 
ing evils  which  threatened  the  spiritual  prosperity  of  the  church, 
nor  ceased  to  fight  against  every  false  religion  which  subverted 
the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

He  was  a  true  Sir  Knight  of  the  Cross.  From  the  first  he 
was  thrust  into  prominence,  nor  did  he  shrink  from  the  solemn 
responsibilities  of  his  office.  While  yet  young  in  years,  he  sought 
to  arouse  a  slumbering  nation,  to  guard  the  doctrines  of  Scripture 
from  wicked  mutilation,  to  shield  the  Bible  from  adverse  criticism, 
and  befriend  the  church  universal,  while  rebuking  her  worldliness 
and  laxity.  While  yet  in  early  years  of  manhood  he  started  his 
great  work  of  Christian  philanthropy.  He  sheltered  the  widow, 
he  befriended  the  orphan,  he  comforted  the  desolate  ;  and  fore- 
seeing the  on-coming  flood  of  apostasy,  he  provided  college  facili- 
ties for  the  equipment  of  godly  men  who  would  signalize  them- 
selves as  advocates  of  evangelical  orthodoxy.  That  he  succeeded 
in  founding  and  maintaining  a  variety  of  noble  institutions,  which 
have  become  an  enduring  monument   to  his  loyalty  and  love,  has 


ASLEEP   IN   JESUS.  307 

become  an  unchallenged  fact  of  history.  Mr.  Spurgeon  knew  him- 
self to  be  Christ's  ambassador.  To  him  was  committed  the  gospel 
of  reconciliation.  He  accepted  the  sacred  trust  bestowed,  and 
never  proved  unworthy  of  it.  He  could  have  escaped  abuse, 
scorn,  ridicule,  opposition  ;  he  could  have  glided  along  through 
life  easily,  lazily  ;  he  could  have  glossed  over  the  heresies  of  the 
day,  and  leave  unnoticed  the  hypocrites  who  played  false  to  their 
Lord ;  but  he  had  a  conscience  toward  God,  a  heart  for  the  church, 
love  for  the  race,  and  a  character  of  sterling  integrity  which  can 
be  nothing  if  not  unflinchingly  loyal  to  the  Master.  The  noble 
man  was  neither  tolerant  of  evil  nor  traitorous  to  Christ.  The  sin 
of  Judas  he  abhorred  even  as  he  loathed  falsity  to  the  faith.  Hear 
his  own  outspoken  indignation  against  this  sin  of  sins. 

"  The  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed.  Stop  there;  'be  betrayed.' 
It  is  as  though  I  heard  the  deep  boom  of  a  death-knell.  Betrayed ! 
Betrayed  !  Still  is  Jesus  betrayed!  If  the  Gospel  dies  in  Eng- 
land, write  on  its  tomb  'Betrayed.'  If  our  churches  lose  their 
holy  influence  among  men,  write  on  them  '  Betrayed!  What  care 
we  for  infidels }  What  care  we  for  those  who  curse  and  blas- 
pheme }  They  cannot  hurt  the  Christ.  His  wcnmds  are  those 
which  He  receives  in  the  house  of  His  friends.  '  Betrayed  !'  O 
Saviour,  some  of  us  have  been  betrayed  ;  but  ours  was  a  small 
sorrow  compared  with  Thine  ;  for  Thou  wast  betrayed  into  the 
hands  of  sinners  by  one  who  claimed  to  be  Thy  friend,  by  one 
who  was  bound  by  every  tie  to  have  been  faithful.  Betrayed !  I 
cannot  bear  the  word.  It  falls  like  a  flash  of  fire  into  my  bosom, 
and  burns  into  my  inmost  soul.  And  such  a  friend  as  He !  So 
full  of  love,  and  yet  betray cd^ 

Mr.  Spurgeon  had  persistently  battled  against  indifference, 
unbelief,  personal  and  national  sins,  with  other  foes  of  spiritual 
religion,  when  the  hour  had  come  for  conflict  with  Anglican  Rit- 
ualism. Protestant  England  was  opening  her  bosom  to  Jesuitical 
leeches.  Her  life-blood  was  being  drained.  Spurgeon  carefully 
noted   the    chief  causes    of    Romish    ascendency  in  his    beloved 


3oS  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.  H.  SrURGEON. 

Britain.  Turning  his  guns  on  the  head  and  front  of  the  ecclesias- 
tical octopus,  shot  after  shot  went  straight  to  the  mark.  His 
great  sermon  on  "Baptismal  Regeneration"  preceded  others  of 
like  import.  Printed  copies  were  sold  by  hundreds  of  thousands. 
The  battle  raged  hotly ;  replies  were  advanced  by  churchmen 
from  humble  curates  to  mitred  bishops,  until  one  hundred 
different  publications  appeared  in  opposition  to  his  views.  After 
the  smoke  of  battle  had  cleared,  the  doughty  preacher  was  the 
first  to  marshal  an  ambulance  corps  and  bring  brotherly  help  to 
the  disabled.  The  Romanizers  thereafter  became  more  cautious. 
For  some  time  High  Churchism  received  a  check  on  its  onward 
progess.  The  princely  soul  of  Spurgeon  waxed  even  greater, 
for  while  yet  flushed  with  victory,  he  reached  out  the  helping 
hand  to  Episcopal  representatives.  He  smote  heresy  with  icono- 
clastic zeal,  but  guarded  his  Christian  manhood  from  being 
dwarfed  by  the  subtleness  of  bigotry. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  was  a  man  of  peace.  He  loved  all  good  men, 
and  heartily  co-operated  with  every  legitimate  Christian  endeavor. 
But  as  soon  as  error  appeared  he  drew  his  trusty  blade.  He  would 
never  ally  himself  with  the  enemies  of  truth.  Therefore,  when 
the  impudent  brigand  known  as  German  Rationalism,  alias 
Advanced  Thought,  alias  New  Theology,  alias  Higher  Criticism, 
emboldened  by  achievements  elsewhere,  displayed  treacherous 
designs  within  the  circle  of  the  Baptist  family,  Spurgeon  stepped 
into  the  arena.  He  asked  that  the  Union  purge  out  the 
traitors.  The  request  was  refused.  Finding  himself  restrained 
by  further  alliance  with  the  Baptist  Union,  some  of  whose 
leaders  were  infected  with  the  heretical  virus,  he  withdrew  from 
its  communion  and  fought  the  good  fight  of  faith  alone.  No,  not 
alone,  for  God  was  with  him,  while  the  prayers  of  the  faithful  for- 
tified him.  The  great  soul  of  the  preacher  was  aroused  ;  his  zeal 
waxed  hotly  with  indignation  as  he  beheld  the  denomination  which 
he  loved  sheltering  the  detractors  of  God's  word.  He  knew  that 
sinners  were  lulled  into  a  fatal  slumber  through  their  specious  phi- 


ASLEEP    IN   JESUS.  309 

losophizing.  Moreover,  when  he  heard  the  Bible  tabood  as  errant, 
as  inaccurate,  as  unphilosophical,  as  unreliable,  despite  bodily  pain 
and  mental  weariness,  he  exposed  the  fallacies  of  the  "  Down 
Grade  "  movement,  and  thereby  inaugurated  the  notable  "  Down 
Grade"  controversy.  He  had  frequently  lifted  up  his  voice  in 
warning  against  the  preaching  of  the  Non-Conformist  pulpit. 
The  teaching  of  prominent  Independents  was  criminally  negative. 
But  when  the  Baptist  Union  gave  countenance  to  the  New 
Theology,  the  rugged  pastor  smote  with  terrific  force.  The  echo 
of  each  blow  was  heard  around  the  globe.  Many  who  watched 
the  battle  from  afar  misjudged  the  faithful  warrior,  while  others, 
who  loved  a  sect  more  than  truth,  withdrew  from  his  standard. 
Mr.  Spurgeon  challenged  the  Baptist  Union  to  pass  a  resolution 
"setting  forth  that  it  rejected  the  dream  of  future  probation  and 
restoration  as  unscriptural,  unprotestant,  and  a  stranger  among 
the  Baptists.  If  it  does  not  do  so,  we  may  expect  to  hear  a  full- 
blown purgatory  preached,  and  prayers  for  the  dead  will  follow  as 
a  matter  of  course."  This  challenge  was  not  accepted.  Events 
since  then  prove  the  accuracy  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  predictions. 

What  was  the  preacher's  desire  ?  We  read  it  in  his  own  words  : 
"I  could  have  wished  that  instead  of  saving  the  Union,  or  even 
purifying  it,  the  more  prominent  thought  had  been  to  conform  > 
everything  to  the  word  of  the  Lord."  Thereafter  Spurgeon 
published  his  own  statement  of  doctrine,  clear  enough  to  be 
understood  by  all ;  but  the  Errorists,  with  their  friends,  refused 
to  accept  it.  As  a  series  of  Articles  of  Faith,  they  reveal  the 
mighty  truths  which  he  fought  to  preserve. 

"  (i)  The  Divine  inspiration,  authority,  and  sufficiency  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures. 

"  (2)  The  right  and  duty  of  private  judgment  in  the  interpretation  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  the  need  of  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
a  true  and  spiritual  understanding  of  them. 

"  (3)  The  unity  of  the  Godhead  and  the  Trinity  of  the  persons  there- 
in —  namely,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost. 


3IO 


LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.  H.  SPURGEON. 


"  1^4)  The  true  and  proper  Godhead  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  and  His  real 
and  perfect  manhood. 

"  (5)  The  utter  depravity  of  human  nature  in  consequence  of  the  Fall, 
whicli  Fall  is  no  fable  nor  metaphor,  but  a  literal  and  sadly  practical 
fact. 

"  (6)  The  substitutionary  sacrifice  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  which 
alone  sin  is  taken  away  and  sinners  are  saved. 

"  (7)  The  offices  of  our  Lord  as  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King,  and  as 
the  one  Mediator  between  God  and  man. 

"  (8)  The  justification  of  the  sinner  by  faith  alone,  through  the  blood 
and  righteousness  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

'•  (9)  The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  regeneration,  conversion, 
santification,  and  preservation  of  the  saved. 

"  (10)  The  immortality  of  the  soul,  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and 
the  judgment  of  the  world  by  our  Lord  Jesus,  which  judgment  will  be 
final,  according  to  the  words  of  the  Great  Judge  :  '  These  shall  go  away 
into  eternal  punishment,  but  the  righteous  into  eternal  life.' 

"(11)  The  Divine  institution  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and  the 
obligation  and  perpetuity  of  the  ordinances  of  Believers'  Baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper. 

"  We  utterly  abhor  the  idea  of  a  new  gospel  or  an  additional  revela- 
tion, or  a  shifting  rule  of  faith  to  be  adapted  to  the  ever-changing  spirit 
of  the  age.  In  particular  we  assert  that  the  notion  of  probation  after 
death,  and  the  ultimate  restitution  of  condemned  spirits,  is  so  unscrip- 
tural  and  unprotestant,  and  so  unknown  to  all  Baptist  Confessions  of 
Faith,  and  draws  with  it  such  consequences,  that  we  are  bound  to  con- 
demn it,  and  to  regard  it  as  one  with  which  we  can  hold  no   fellowship," 

In  reply  to  a  resolution  of  sympathy  with  him  in  his  position, 
rrom  a  body  of  Welsh  preachers,  Mr.  Spurgeon  wrote  :  — 

'  Mourning  over  a  great  evil  in  some  of  the  churches,  I  sacrificed 
ocace,  friendship,  and  repute  to  be  clear  of  it.  My  protest  was 
resented  and  judged  to  be  needless.  The  discussions  which  have 
followed  have,  I  grieve  to  say,  more  than  justified  my  charges,  A 
compact  which  was  made  without  my  concurrence  also  bears  on 
its  forefrc^it  proofs  that  grave  errors  exist  in  every  quarter  where- 
in they  were  denied.  It  has  cost  me  many  wounds  and  much 
dishonor  to  have  been  the  accuser  of  brethren,  and  it  is  still  more 
painful  to  find  their  great  errors  are  not  regarded  as  serious  by 


ASLEEP   IN   JESUS.  311 

the  mass  of  professors.  My  only  course  is  to  follow  separated 
paths,  not,  however,  separating  myself  from  any  of  my  denomina- 
tion who  hold  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints." 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  withdrawal  from  the  Union  placed  him  under 
reproach.  Small  men  misjudged  him;  narrow  men  misread  him; 
crooked  men  abused  him  ;  guilty  men  condemned  him  ;  and  in 
some  instances  good  men  through  fear  of  the  cause  forsook  him. 
But  he  stood  firm  as  the  breakwater  to  the  advancing  sea.  He 
withdrew  to  his  place  outside  of  the  denominational  camp,  pre- 
ferring censure  for  conscience'  sake,  rather  than  enthronement 
within  the  walls  by  cowardly  silence.  The  protest  of  friends 
against  his  protest  did  not  shake  his  faith.  He  knew  that  right 
was  might,  and  time  would  vindicate  his  action.  Thank  God  he 
lived  till  the  vindication  came,  for  it  did  come  with  swiftness  and 
ever-increasing  demonstration.  The  extremes  to  which  members 
of  this  same  Union  have  since  gone  in  their  insane  pursuit  of 
Rationalistic  Thought,  and  the  deep  quagmire  of  radical  Unitari- 
anism  in  which  they  now  flounder,  justify  Spurgeon  in  refusing  to 
continue  in  fellowship  with  heretics. 

In  late  years  the  beloved  pastor  was  often  away  from  his  flock, 
seeking  health  amid  the  groves  of  Menton.  On  each  home-com- 
ing, when  peace  followed  victory,  it  was  very  noticeable  how  the 
passion  for  winning  souls  to  Christ  swelled  within  him.  Out  of  a 
full  heart  he  preached,  and  taught  the  Gospel  of  Salvation  ;  with 
strong  crying  and  tears,  he  poured  out  his  soul  in  prayer.  Gra- 
ciously, copiously,  constantly,  did  heavenly  rain  fall  upon  his  con- 
gregations. The  results  of  this  latter  have  been  great  spiritual 
fruitfulness. 

During  the  month  of  May,  1891,  the  London  pastor  was  stricken 
down  in  the  midst  of  his  labors.  After  partial  recovery  a  compli- 
cation of  influenza,  gout,  and  diabetes  brought  him  to  the  verge  of 
the  grave.  For  many  weeks  his  life  was  despaired  of.  Then 
occurred  the  great  uprising  of  prayer  on  his  behalf  throughout  the 
world.     God  saw  fit  to  prolong  the  life  of  His  servant  yet  a  little. 


312  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  popularity  was  fully  demonstrated  during  the 
weeks  when  his  life  trembled  in  the  balance.  More  than  seven 
thousand  messages  of  sympathy  had  reached  him.  These  were 
from  individuals,  religious  bodies,  and  countries  beyond  the  seas. 
When  invalided,  the  loyal  champion  found  he  had  not  been  alone 
in  championing  the  sacred  Scriptures. 

In  October  the  invalid  was  removed  to  his  favorite  Menton, 
where  he  seemed  to  gain  strength.  There  were  many  signs  of 
returning  health.  As  late  as  January  i6,  of  this  year,  he  penned 
a  line  to  the  writer,  expressing  the  hope  that  he  would  soon  be 
actively  engaged  in  serving  his  Lord.  All  sympathizers  were 
hopeful.  His  dear  wife  was  with  him,  ever  by  his  side.  Great 
was  his  joy  over  this  mercy.  Mrs.  Spurgeon  was  a  lifelong  invalid, 
confined  to  her  home ;  she  was  now  restored  sufficiently  to  accom- 
pany her  beloved,  and  to  minister  to  him  during  his  last  days  on 
earth.  As  the  year  1891  drew  to  a  close  he  had  strength  enough 
to  deliver  a  brief  address  on  "  Retrospect."  Next  morning,  standing 
on  the  threshold  of  the  new  year,  he  preached  another  short  sermon 
on  "  Prospect."  These,  his  last  public  utterances,  are  worthy  to  be 
written  in  letters  of  gold,  or  carved  into  the  everlasting  rocks. 

On  January  28  there  were  symptoms  of  relapse.  As  the 
hours  went  slowly  by,  there  were  indications  of  serious  illness.  It 
soon  became  evident  that  the  great  preacher  was  fighting  his  last 
battle.  The  disease  gained  rapidly.  On  Sunday,  January  31, 
the  patient  became  unconscious,  while  the  anxious  watchers  prayed 
and  wept.  Before  midnight  the  heart  had  stilled  its  beating,  and 
the  free  spirit  exchanged  its  prison-house  of  clay  for  its  Paradise 
of  glory.     Mr.  Spurgeon  died  January  31,  1892,  at  11. 15  p.m. 

After  the  death  at  Menton  the  body  was  brought  to  London. 
It  lay  in  his  great  church,  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle.  During 
one  day  it  was  visited  by  one  hundred  thousand  persons.  The 
memorial  services  were  peculiarly  impressive.  During  the  last 
day  the  shops  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Tabernacle  were  closed  as  a 
mark  of  respect,  while  many  buildings  were  draped  in  mourning. 


ASLEEP   IN   JESUS.  313 

Several  members  of  Parliament  attended  to  pay  their  respects  to 
the  memory  of  the  dead  ;  men  and  women  of  social  rank  joined 
their  poorer  brothers  and  sisters  in  giving  their  tribute  of  tears. 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  students  and  orphans  were  chief  among  the 
mourners.  Deputations  from  sixty  religious  bodies  were  also 
present.  The  preachers  who  addressed  the  multitudes  we're  Rev. 
A.  T.  Pierson  of  America,  pastor  pro  tcm,  and  Rev.  Archibald  G. 
Brown  of  London.  The  Bishop  of  Rochester,  with  clergymen  of 
other  denominations,  participated  in  the  services. 

The  immense  funeral  procession  was  preceded  by  a  squad  of 
mounted  policemen.  On  the  coffin  lay  an  open  Bible.  The  sides 
of  the  hearse  bore  the  appropriate  text  for  the  dying  man  :  "  I 
have  fought  a  good  fight ;  I  have  finished  my  course  ;  I  have  kept 
the  faith." 

After  the  funeral  ceremonies  ended,  the  vast  multitudes  formed 
in  line,  and  slowly  filed  before  the  open  vault,  taking  their  last 
look  upon  the  coffin  of  the  deeply  lamented  pastor,  preacher, 
author,  and  philanthropist,  whose  loss  is  deeply  mourned  by  Queen 
and  subjects,  by  prince  and  peasant  alike. 

It  is  recorded  of  the  martyred  Stephen,  when  robbed  of  life  by 
his  mad  persecutors,  "he  fell  asleep."  The  derivative  of  the  word 
used  is  translated  cemetery.  This  was  the  word  employed  by  the 
apostles  to  denote  a  place  where  the  bodies  of  believers  sleep  in 
the  hope  of  a  glorious  resurrection.  This  is  the  hope  which  the 
Gospel  brings  to  light.  In  view  of  this  "  blessed  hope  "  we  record 
the  fact  :  Our  friend  Spurgeon  sleepeth.  His  body  lies  in  Nor- 
wood cemetery  awaiting  the  return  of  his  Lord.  '*  For  the  Lord 
Himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice 
of  the  archangel,  and  the  trump  of  God,  and  the  dead  in  Christ 
shall  rise  first."  Absent  from  the  body,  the  unclothed  spirit  of 
our  departed  brother  is  in  conscious  bliss  within  the  gates  of 
Paradise.  But  at  the  sound  of  the  trump  the  grave  will  yield  its 
prey,  when  spirit  and  body  shall  again  be  reunited.  Then  shall  be 
brought  to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written,  "O  death,  where  is  thj 


314  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

sting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?  Thanks  be  unto  God, 
who  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  For 
He,  our  Lord,  shall  change  this  body  of  our  humiliation  that  it 
may  be  fashioned  like  unto  the  body  of  His  glory.  Then  will 
"  the  Crowning  day  "  have  dawned,  when  the  full  salvation  of  the 
believer  shall  be  realized.  Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  this  neglected 
part  of  the  Gospel.  The  potential  hope  of  the  imminent  advent 
of  Jesus  buoyed  up  his  soul  under  every  visitation  of  sorrow.  And 
though  not  permitted  to  abide  here  "till  He  come,"  he  is  in  the 
upper  room  still  waiting  with  the  members  of  "  the  sacramental 
host"  above  for  that  approaching  hour  of  triumph  when  "the 
dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first.  Then  we  which  are  alive  and 
remain  shall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds  to  meet 
the  Lord  in  the  air  ;  and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord." 
Blessed  words  of  comfort  concerning  our  sainted  dead  !  blessed 
words  of  hope  concerning  ourselves !  "  We  shall  not  all  sleep,  but 
we  shall  all  be  changed,  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye, 
at  the  last  trump  :  for  the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and  the  dead  shall 
be  raised  incorruptible,  and  we  shall  be  changed."  Because  of  this 
divinely  inspired  word  of  revelation,  our  grief  is  assuaged  ;  because 
Oi  this  hope  our  sorrow  is  sweetened,  as  we  again  write  the  words, 
"'OUR  FRIEND  Spurgeon  sleepeth." 

"  After  the  toil  and  trouble, 

There  cometh  a  day  of  rest ; 
After  the  weary  conflict, 

Peace  on  the  Saviour's  breast ; 
After  the  strife  and  struggle, 

The  victory  is  won  ; 
After  the  work  is  over, 

The  Master's  own  word,   '  Well  done.' " 

Mr.  Spurgeon  sleeps  in  Jesus  ;  the  lion-hearted  preacher  is  at 
rest ;  the  brave  warrior  is  called  to  the  King's  banqueting  house  ; 
to  his  enraptured  gaze  the  face  of  Immanuel  is  unveiled. 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  own  views  of  the  heavenly  home  are  best 
expressed  in  his  sermon  concerning  the  death  of  the  late  Lord 


ASLEEP   IN  JESUS.  315 

Shaftesbury.  This  lofty  theme,  so  touchingly  presented,  forms  a 
fitting  close  to  our  book.  And  in  closing  the  record  of  his  life,  I 
subjoin  the  final  words  of  his  last  sermon  preached  to  his  own 
people  in  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle. 

..."  My  time  is  ended,  although  I  had  much  more  to  say.  I 
can  only  pray  the  Lord  to  give  you  to  believe  in  Him.  If  I  should 
never  again  have  the  pleasure  of  speaking  for  my  Lord  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth,  I  should  like  to  deliver  as  my  last  confession  of 
faith  this  testimony  :  That  nothing  but  faith  can  save  in  this 
nineteenth  century ;  nothing  but  faith  can  save  England  ;  nothing 
but  faith  can  save  the  present  unbelieving  Church  ;  nothing  but 
firm  faith  in  the  grand  old  doctrines  of  grace  and  in  the  ever-living 
and  unchanging  God  can  bring  back  to  the  Church  again  a  full 
tide  of  prosperity,  and  make  her  to  be  the  deliverer  of  the  nations 
for  Christ  ;  nothing  but  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  can  save  you  or 
me.  The  Lord  give  you,  my  brothers,  to  believe  to  the  utmost 
degree,  for  His  name's  sake!  Amen." 

In  summing  up  the  history  of  Charles  H.  Spurgeon,  we  may 
venture  an  answer  to  the  oft-repeated  question :  "  Wherein  lay 
the  secret  of  his  success  .'' "  It  has  been  very  humiliating  to  read 
the  many  answers  given  by  a  host  of  well-meaning  but  foolish 
preachers  to  this  question.  Especially  has  their  ignorance  be- 
trayed itself  in  making  comparisons  between  Spurgeon  and  some 
erratic  genius  whose  passing  fame  filled  for  the  time  the  public 
mind.  Others  have  been  pleased  to  animadvert  on  his  shallow 
intellect,  his  lack  of  scholarship,  his  non-progressiveness,  or  his 
unphilosophical  turn  of  mind.  Well  !  well !  May  not  the  follow- 
ing suggestions  be  worthy  of  consideration  .? 

First,  Charles  H.  Spurgeon  was  chosen  of  God,  called  as  His 
special  instrument,  and  commissioned  to  fulfil  the  ministry  where- 
into  He  was  appointed.  So  Moses  was  called,  so  was  Jeremiah, 
Nehemiah,  Paul,  and  Luther.  The  eternal  purpose  of  God  was 
vindicated  in  the  character  and  service  of  His  faithful  servant. 


3l6  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF  C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

Second,  ]\Ir.  Spurgeon  was  true  to  the  Divine  commission.  He 
preached  God's  gospel.  From  this  he  never  swerved.  No  induce- 
ments to  engage  in  other  employments  than  these  vitally  related 
to  his  mission  led  him  aside.  He  was  no  pretended  social 
reformer ;  the  policy  of  gaining  influence  by  affiliation  with  secret 
societies  was  obnoxious  to  him  ;  the  constant  appeals  to  enter  the 
lecture-field,  and  thereby  enrich  himself,  were  unheeded  by  him. 
He  loved  His  Master,  and  lived  to  serve  Him.  The  substitu- 
tionary work  of  Christ  for  the  sinner  was  the  very  essence  of  the 
Gospel  he  preached.  In  his  last  public  utterances  in  Menton  he 
proclaimed  the  truth  to  which  he  had  been  loyal  all  his  life.  Oh 
that  all  preachers  had  kept  to  this  !     Thus  he  spake  :  — 

'*  My  faith  places  her  hand  upon  the  head  of  Him  who  was  our 
Substitute  and  Scape-Goat,  and  I  see  all  my  sins  and  all  the  sins 
of  all  believers  forever  put  away  by  Him  who  stood  in  the  sinners' 
place.  Let  your  tears  fall  because  of  sin  ;  but,  at  the  same  time, 
let  the  eye  of  faith  steadily  behold  the  Son  of  man  lifted  up,  as 
Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  that  those  who  are 
bitten  by  the  old  serpent  may  look  unto  Him  and  live.  Our  sin- 
nership  is  that  emptiness  into  which  the  Lord  pours  his  mercy. 
'  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that 
Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners.'  On  that  blessed 
fact  I  rest  my  soul.  Though  I  have  preached  Christ  crucified  for 
more  than  forty  years,  and  have  led  many  to  my  Master's  feet,  I 
have  at  this  moment  no  ray  of  hope  but  that  which  comes  from 
what  my  Lord  Jesus  has  done  for  guilty  men." 

Third,  Pastor  Charles  Spurgeon  believed  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 
He  had  intellectual  power,  but  in  that  he  never  trusted.  He  had 
a  great  personality,  but  his  faith  lay  not  in  it.  From  natural  gifts 
and  personal  qualifications  he  never  sought  the  help  needed,  but 
from  God  the  Holy  Spirit  alone.  His  single  weapon  was  the 
inspired  Word ;  his  source  of  strength  the  ever-living,  ever-present 
Spirit.     How  sweetly  pathetic  now  are  the  last  words  of  that  last 


ASLEEP   IN   JESUS.  317 

address  given  to  the  little  company  who  sat  at  his  feet ;  the  words 
which  close  the  long,  faithful,  and  fruitful  ministry  of  Charles 
Haddon  Spurgeon. 

"  We  would  have  it  so  happen,  that,  when  our  life's  history  is 
written,  whoever  reads  it  will  not  think  of  us  as  '  self-made  men,' 
but  as  the  handiwork  of  God,  in  whom  His  grace  is  magnified. 
Not  in  us  may  men  see  the  clay,  but  the  Potter's  hand.  They 
said  of  one,  '  He  is  a  fine  preacher ; '  but  of  another  they  said, 
We  never  notice  how  he  preaches,  but  we  feel  that  God  is  great.' 
We  wish  our  whole  life  to  be  a  sacrifice,  an  altar  of  incense 
continually  smoking  with  sweet  perfume  unto  the  Most  High. 
Oh,  to  be  borne,  through  the  year,  on  the  wings  of  praise  to  God  ; 
to  mount  from  year  to  year,  and  raise  at  each  ascent  a  loftier  and 
yet  lowlier  song  unto  the  God  of  our  life  !  The  vista  of  a  praise- 
ful  life  will  never  close,  but  continue  throughout  eternity.  From 
psalm  to  psalm,  from  hallelujah  to  hallelujah,  we  will  ascend  the 
hill  of  the  Lord  ;  until  we  come  into  the  Holiest  of  all,  where, 
faces  we  will  bow  before  the  Divine  Majesty  in  the  bliss  of  endless 
with  veiled  adoration." 

One  of  the  most  touching  incidents  connected  with  the  memo- 
rial services  of  the  late  Pastor  Spurgeon  was  Mr.  Ira  D.  Sankey's 
tender  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  departed.  After  fitting 
words  to  the  assembled  thousands,  his  pathetic  voice  rang 
through  the  great  building  as  he  sang  "  The  Christian's  Good- 
night "  :  — 

''  Sleep,  on  beloved,  sleep  and  take  thy  rest; 
Lay  down  thy  head  upon  thy  Saviour's  breast. 
We  love  thee  well,  but  Jesus  loves  thee  best  — 
Good-night!     Good-night!     Good-night." 

Farewell,  noble  preacher ;  farewell,  faithful  friend ;  farewell, 
brother  beloved.  Good-night,  for  on  the  morning  of  the  Resur- 
rection Day  thou  shalt  arise  and  receive  the  victor's  crown.  Good- 
night. 


XXIV. 

THE  HEAVENLY   HOME. 


Our  dear  babes  go  home  because  "He  gathereth  the  lambs  with  His 
arms  and  carrieth  them  in  His  bosom  ;  "  and  our  ripe  saints  go  home 
because  the  Beloved  is  come  into  His  garden  to  gather  lilies.  These 
words  of  our  Lord  Jesus  explain  the  continual  home-going ;  they  are  the 
answer  to  the  riddle  which  we  call  death. —  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


SERMONS.  »  321 


GLIMPSES   OF   THE    HEAVENLY   LIFE. 

A    SERMON,     SUGGESTED     BY    THE    DECEASE    OF    THE    EARL    OF    SHAFTESBURY, 
OCT.    4,    1885,   AT   THE   METROPOLITAN   TABERNACLE, 

"Now  that  the  dead  are  raised,  even  Moses  shewed  at  the  bush,  when  he  calleth  the 
Lord  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob.  For  He  is  not 
a  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living  :  for  all  live  unto  Him."  —Luke  xx.  37,  38. 

During  the  past  week  the  Church  of  God  and  the  world  at 
large  have  sustained  a  very  serious  loss.  In  the  taking  home  to 
Himself  by  our  gracious  Lord  of  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  we  have 
in  my  judgment  lost  the  best  man  of  the  age.  I  do  not  know 
whom  I  should  place  second ;  but  I  certainly  should  put  him  first 
—  far  beyond  all  other  servants  of  God  within  my  knowledge  — 
for  usefulness  and  influence.  He  was  a  man  most  true  in  his  per- 
sonal piety,  as  I  know  from  having  enjoyed  his  private  friendship  ; 
a  man  most  firm  in  his  faith  in  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus. 
Christ;  a  man  intensely  active  in  the  cause  of  God  and  truth. 
Take  him  whichever  way  you  please,  he  was  admirable:  he  was 
faithful  to  God  in  all  his  house,  fulfilling  both  the  first  and  second 
commands  of  the  law  in  fervent  love  to  God  and  hearty  love  to 
man.  He  occupied  his  high  position  with  singleness  of  purpose 
and  immovable  steadfastness.  Where  shall  we  find  his  equal?  If 
it  is  not  possible  that  he  was  absolutely  perfect,  it  is  equally  im- 
possible for  me  to  mention  a  single  fault,  for  I  saw  none.  He 
exhibited  Scriptural  perfection,  inasmuch  as  he  was  sincere,  true, 
and  consecrated.  Those  things  which  have  been  regarded  as 
faults  by  the  loose  thinkers  of  this  age  are  prime  virtues  in  my 
esteem.  They  called  him  narrozv  ;  and  in  this  they  bear  uncon- 
scious testimony  to  his  loyalty  to  truth.  I  rejoiced  greatly  in  his 
integrity,  his  fearlessness,  his  adherence  to  principle,  in  a  day 
when  revelation  is  questioned,  the  gospel  explained  away,  and 
human  thought  set  up  as  the  idol  of  the  hour.  He  felt  that  there 
was  a  vital  and  eternal  difference  between  truth  and  error ;   conse- 


322  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

qiiently  he  did  not  act  or  talk  as  if  there  was  much  to  be  said  on 
cither  side,  and,  therefore,  no  one  could  be  quite  sure.  We  shall 
not  know  for  many  a  year  how  much  we  miss  in  missing  him  ; 
how  great  an  anchor  he  was  to  this  drifting  generation;  and  how 
great  a  stimulus  he  was  to  every  movement  for  the  benefit  of  the 
poor.  Both  man  and  beast  may  unite  in  mourning  him:  he  was 
the  friend  of  every  living  thing.  He  lived  for  the  oppressed  ;  he 
lived  for  London;  he  lived  for  the  nation;  he  lived  still  more  for 
God.  He  has  finished  his  course ;  and  though  we  do  not  lay 
him  to  sleep  in  the  grave  with  the  sorrow  of  those  that  have  no 
hope,  yet  we  cannot  but  mourn  that  a  great  man  and  a  prince  has 
fallen  this  day  in  Israel.  Surely  the  righteous  are  taken  away 
from  the  evil  to  come,  and  we  are  left  to  struggle  on  under 
increasing  difficulties. 

Heaven  Unveiled.  —  My  text  not  only  declares  glorious  relation- 
ship and  implies  eternal  life,  but  it  also  unveils,  somewhat  scantily 
but  still  sufficiently,  what  the  glorious  life  must  be.  Look,  then, 
and  see  the  glorious  life  unveiled. 

It  is  clear  that  they  live  personally.  It  is  not  said,  "  I  am  the 
God  of  the  whole  body  of  the  saints  in  one  mass ;  "  but,  "  I  am 
the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob."  God  will  make  His  people 
to  live  individually.  My  mother,  my  father,  my  child,  each  will 
personally  exist.  God  is  the  God  of  saints  as  living  distinct 
lives ;  Abraham  is  Abraham,  Isaac  is  Isaac,  Jacob  is  Jacob.  The 
three  patriarchs  were  not  all  melted  into  one  common  Abra- 
ham, nor  Isaac  into  one  imaginary  Isaac ;  neither  was  any  one  so 
altered  as  to  cease  to  be  himself  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  are 
all  literally  living  as  actual  men,  and  the  same  men  as  they  used 
to  be.  Jacob  is  Jacob,  and  not  an  echo  of  Abraham ;  Isaac  is 
Isaac,  and  not  a  rehearsal  of  Jacob.  All  the  saints  are  existent  in 
their  personality,  identity,  distinction,  and  idiosyncrasy. 

What  is  more,  the  patriarchs  are  mentioned  by  their  naines  ;  and 
so  it  is  clear  they  are  known :  the}'  are  not  three  anonymous 
bodies,  but  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  Many  inquire,  "  Shall 
we  know  our  friends  in  heaven?"  Why  should  we  not?  The 
saints  in  heaven  are  never  spoken  of  in  Scripture  as  moving  about 
anonymously;   but  their  names  are  spoken  of  as  written  in  the 


SERMONS.  323 

Book  of  Life.  Why  is  this?  The  apostles  knew  Moses  and  EHas 
on  the  Mount,  though  they  had  never  seen  them  before.  I  can- 
not forget  old  John  Ryland's  answer  to  his  wife.  "John,"  she 
said,  "  will  you  know  me  in  heaven?"  "  Betty,"  he  replied,"! 
have  known  you  well  here,  and  I  shall  not  be  a  bigger  fool  in 
heaven  than  I  am  now;  therefore  I  shall  certainly  know  you 
there."  That  seems  to  be  clear  enough.  We  read  in  the  New 
Testament,  "  They  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  —  not  sit  down  with  three  unknown 
individuals  in  iron  masks,  or  three  impersonalities  who  make  a 
part  of  the  great  Pan,  nor  three  spirits  who  are  as  exactly  alike 
as  pins  made  in  a  factory;  but  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  That 
is  clear  enough  in  the  text. 

That  glorious  life,  while  it  is  a  personal  and  a  known  life,  is 
aXso  free  f7'oin  all  sorrozv  and  misery  and  earthly  grossness.  They 
are  neither  married  nor  given  in  marriage,  neither  shall  they  die 
any  more;  but  they  are  as  the  angels  of  God.  It  is  a  life  of  per- 
fect blessedness,  a  life  of  hallowed  worship,  a  life  of  undivided 
glory.  Oh  that  we  were  in  it !  Oh  that  we  may  soon  reach  it ! 
Let  us  think  of  the  many  who  are  enjoying  it  now,  and  of  those 
who  have  attained  to  it  during  the  last  icw  days.  I  am  sure  they 
are  at  home  in  every  golden  street,  and  fully  engaged  in  the 
adoration  and  worship  of  their  Lord.  Those  saints  who  have 
been  in  glory  now  these  thousands  of  years  cannot  be  more 
blessed  than  the  latest  arrivals.  Within  a  very  short  space  you 
and  I  shall  be  among  the  shining  ones.  Some  of  us  may  spend 
our  next  Sabbath  with  the  angels.  Let  us  rejoice  and  be  glad  at 
the  bare  thought  of  it.  Some  of  us  are  not  doomed  to  live  here 
through  another  winter;  we  shall  pass  beyond  these  autumn 
fogs  into  the  golden  light  of  the  eternal  summer  before  another 
Christmas-day  has  come.  Oh,  the  joy  Avhich  ought  to  thrill 
through  our  souls  at  the  thought  of  such  amazing  bliss  ! 

Still  Living.  —  And  now,  taking  the  whole  subject  together, 
I  want  to  say  a  few  familiar  things  about  the  influence  which  all 
this  ought  to  have  upon  us. 

Concerning  those  that  have  gone  before  us,  we  gather  from 
this  whole  text  that  they  are  not  lost ;  we   know  where  they  are. 


324  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.   11.  SPURGEON. 

Neither  have  they  lost  anything ;  for  they  are  what  they  were, 
and  more.  Abraham  has  about  him  still  everything  that  is  Abra- 
hamic,  he  is  Abraham  still ;  and  Isaac  has  everything  about 
him  that  properly  belongs  to  Isaac ;  and  Jacob  has  all  about  him 
that  makes  him  God's  Israel.  These  good  men  have  lost  noth- 
ing that  really  appertained  to  their  individuality,  nothing  that 
made  them  precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.  They  have  gained 
infinitely,  they  have  developed  gloriously.  They  are  Abraham 
and  Isaac  and  Jacob,  now  at  their  best;  or,  rather,  they  are  wait- 
ing till  the  trumpet  of  the  resurrection  shall  sound,  when  their 
bodies  also  shall  be  united  to  their  spirits,  and  then  Abraham  and 
Isaac  and  Jacob  will  be  completely  Abraham  and  Isaac  and  Jacob, 
world  without  end.  We  are  by  no  means  deprived  of  our  dear  ones 
by  their  death:  they  are ;  they  are  themselves;  and  they  are  ours 
still.  As  Abraham  is  not  lost  to  Isaac,  nor  to  Jacob,  nor  to  God, 
nor  to  himself,  so  are  our  beloved  ones  by  no  means  lost  to  us. 
Do  not  let  us  think  of  them,  then,  as  if  they  were  lost.  I  know 
your  sorrows  make  an  excursion  to  the  grave,  to  look  there  for 
the  deceased  ones.  You  want  to  lift  that  coffin-lid  and  to  unwrap 
the  shroud.  Oh,  do  not  so !  do  not  so  !  He  is  not  here ;  the 
real  man  has  gone.  He  may  be  dead  to  you  for  a  while,  but  he 
lives  unto  God.  Yes,  the  dead  one  liveth,  he  liveth  unto  God  ! 
Do  but  anticipate  the  passage  of  that  little  time,  which  is  almost 
gone  while  I  am  speaking  of  it,  and  then  your  Saviour's  angels 
shall  sound  their  golden  trumpets,  and  at  the  welcome  noise  the 
grave  shall  open  its  portals  and  resign  its  captives.  "  Thy  brother 
shall  rise  again."  Wherefore  comfort  one  another  with  these 
words.  Shaftesbury  is  as  much  Shaftesbury  as  ever,  and  even 
more  so.  We  have  parted  with  the  earl,  but  the  saint  liveth;  he 
has  gone  past  yonder  veil  into  the  next  room,  and  there  he  is 
before  the  Lord  of  Hosts.  He  has  gone  out  of  this  dim,  dusky, 
cloudy  chamber  into  the  bright  pearly  light  that  streamcth  from 
the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb.  We  have  nothing  to  sorrow 
about  in  reference  to  what  he  is  or  where  he  is.  So,  too,  your 
valued  parents,  and  beloved  children,  and  choice  friends,  they 
are  yours  still.  Herein  is  great  cause  for  thankfulness.  Put  aside 
your   sackcloth,  and  wear  the   garments  of  hope;    lay  down   the 


SERMONS.  325 

sackbut,  and  take  up  the  trumpet.  Draw  not  the  beloved  bodies 
to  the  cemetery  with  dreary  pomp  and  with  black  horses,  but 
cover  the  coffin  with  sweet  flowers  and  drape  the  horses  with 
emblems  of  hope.  It  is  the  better  birthday  of  the  saint,  —  yea, 
his  truer  wedding-day.  Is  it  sad  to  have  done  with  sadness?  Is  it 
sorrowful  to  part  with  sorrow?  Nay  rather,  when  joy  beginneth 
to  our  friends  where  glory  dwelleth  in  Immanuel's  land,  we  may 
in  sympathy  sing,  as  it  were,  a  new  song,  and  tune  our  harps  to  the 
melodies  of  the  glorified. 

One  with  lis.  —  I  want  you  also  to  recollect  that  tJic  departed 
Jiave  not  become  members  of  another  race ;  they  have  not  been 
transferred  into  another  family.  They  are  still  men,  still  women, 
still  of  our  kindred  dear;  their  names  are  in  the  same  family 
register  on  earth  and  in  heaven.  Oh,  no,  no !  Do  not  dream  that 
they  are  separated  and  exiled ,  they  have  gone  to  the  home  coun- 
try. We  are  the  exiles ;  they  it  is  who  are  at  home.  We  are  en 
route  for  the  fatherland ;  they  are  not  so  far  from  us  as  we  think. 
Sin  worked  to  divide  them  from  us,  and  us  from  them,  while  we 
were  here  together ;  but  since  sin  is  now  taken  away  from  them, 
one  dividing  element  is  gone.  When  it  is  also  removed  from  us, 
we  shall  be  nearer  to  each  other  than  we  could  have  been  while 
we  were  both  sinful.  Do  not  let  us  think  of  them  as  sundered 
far,  for  we  are  one  in  Christ. 

And  they  are  not  gone  over  to  the  other  side  in  the  battle.  Oh, 
do  not  speak  of  them  as  dead,  and  lying  on  the  battle-field  I  They 
live;  they  live  in  sympathy  with  our  divine  conflict!  They 
have  marched  through  the  enemy's  country;  they  have  fought 
their  fight,  and  taken  possession  of  their  inheritance.  They  are 
still  on  our  side,  though  we  miss  them  from  the  daily  service. 
When  you  number  up  the  hosts  of  God,  you  must  not  forget  the 
godlike  bands  that  have  fought  the  good  fight,  and  kept  the  faith, 
and  finished  their  course.  They  are  in  the  armies  of  the  Lord, 
though  not  at  this  moment  resisting  unto  blood.  The  hundred 
and  forty-four  thousand  sealed  unto  the  Lord  include  in  their 
ranks  all  who  are  with  God,  whether  here  or  in  heaven.  Our 
sacramental  host  marches  onward  to  the  New  Jerusalem.  Cer- 
tain of  the  le£yionaries  have  forded  the  dividin";  flood.     I  see  them 


326  LIFE   AND   LABORS   OF   C.  H.  SPURGEON. 

ascending  the  other  side  !  The  hither  bank  of  the  .river  is  white 
with  their  rising  companies.  Lo,  I  hear  the  splash  of  the  ranks 
before  us  as  they  steadily  pass  down  into  the  chill  stream  !  In 
deep  silence  we  see  them  solemnly  wading  through  the  billows! 
The  host  is  ever  marching  on,  marching  on.  The  much-di^eaded 
stream  lies  a  little  before  us ;  it  is  but  a  silver  streak.  We  are  to 
the  margin  come.  We  shudder  not  at  the  prospect.  We  follow 
the  blessed  footsteps  of  our  Lord  and  His  redeemed.  We  are  all 
one  army  still;  we  are  not  losing  our  men;  they  are  simply 
ascending  from  the  long  campaign  to  take  their  endless  rewards 
at  the  Lord's  right  hand. 

What  shall  we  do?  —  What  then?  Why,  then  we  will  take 
up  their  work.  If  they  have  gone  into  the  upper  chamber  to  rest, 
we  will  make  up  their  lack  of  service  in  this  lower  room.  The 
work  they  did  was  so  human  that  we  will  not  allow  a  stitch  to 
drop,  but  take  it  up  where  they  left  it,  and  persevere  in  earnest. 
They  are  in  glory,  but  they  were  not  glorified  when  they  were 
here.  The  work  they  did  was  done  by  men  of  such  infirmities  as 
ours ;  so  let  us  not  fear  to  go  on  where  they  left  off,  and  perpetu- 
ate the  work  which  they  rejoiced  in.  There  lies  the  plough  in  the 
furrow,  and  the  oxen  are  standing  still ;  for  Shamgar,  the  cham- 
pion, is  gone.  Will  no  one  lay  hold  of  the  plough-handles? 
Will  nobody  urge  the  oxen  with  the  goad?  Young  men,  are  you 
idling?  Here  is  work  for  you.  Are  you  hiding  yourselves? 
Come  forward,  I  pray  you,  in  the  name  of  the  Great  Husband- 
man, and  let  the  fields  be  tilled  and  sown  with  the  good  seed. 
Who  will  fill  the  gap  made  by  death?  Who  will  be  baptized  for 
the  dead?  Who  will  bear  the  banner,  now  that  a  standard-bearer 
has  fallen?  I  hope  some  consecrated  voice  will  answer,  "Here 
am  I ;    send  me  !  " 

For,  last  of  all,  brethren,  we  inay  expect  the  same  succors  as  they 
received  zvho  have  gone  before.  Jehovah  saith  that  He  is  the  God 
of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob ;  but  He  also 
saith,  "I  am  the  God  of  your  father."  The  father  of  Moses  had 
the  Lord  to  be  his  God.  That  God  is  the  God  of  my  father, 
blessed  be  His  name !  As  I  took  the  old  man  by  his  hand  yester- 
day, at  the  age  of  seventy-six,  I  could  not  but  rejoice  in  all  the 


SERMONS.  327 

faithfulness  of  the  Lord  to  him  and  to  his  house.  He  was  the 
God  of  my  father's  father  also.  I  cannot  forget  how  the  venerable 
man  laid  his  hand  upon  his  grandchild  and  blessed  him;  and  the 
blessing  is  with  him  still.  Yes,  and  He  is  the  God  of  my  children, 
and  He  shall  be  the  God  of  my  children's  children ;  for  He  keepeth 
covenant  to  thousands  of  them  that  love  Him.  Wherefore  take 
courage,  men  and  brethren  !  This  God  is  your  God.  He  is  a 
God  to  you,  and  you  are  a  people  to  Him.  Act  as  His  true  serv- 
ants. Live  as  those  that  are  elect.  If  you  are  His  choice,  be 
choice  characters.  The  chosen  should  be  the  best,  should  they 
not?  The  elect  should  be  especially  distinguished  above  all 
others  by  their  conversation  and  their  fervent  zeal  for  Him  that 
chose  them.  As  you  shall  rise  from  among  the  dead  because  the 
Lord  Jesus  hath  redeemed  you  from  among  men,  so  stand  up 
from  among  the  dead  and  corrupt  mass  of  this  world  and  be 
alive  unto  God  through  Jesus  Christ  your  Lord.  What  manner 
of  people  ought  ye  to  be  who  serve  the  living  God?  Since  the 
living  God  hath  manifested  Himself  so  wonderfully  to  you,  ought 
you  not  to  live  unto  Him  to  the  utmost? 


DATE  DUE 

-^ 

i»«»^.4«. 

,*«-««»«r*«fi 

*3lfcv^'~'= 

**^ 

^^ 

w 

v,^gmtfiMi» 

min^- 

DEMCO  38-297 


